NEWS Release - STATE EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT — JANUARY 2017
Unemployment rates were significantly lower in January in 5 states and stable in 45 states and the District of Columbia, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.
Six states had notable jobless rate decreases from a year earlier and 44 states and the District had no significant change. The national unemployment rate was 4.8 percent in January, little changed from that of both December 2016 and January 2016.
Six states had notable jobless rate decreases from a year earlier and 44 states and the District had no significant change. The national unemployment rate was 4.8 percent in January, little changed from that of both December 2016 and January 2016.
Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 13 states in January 2017, decreased in Alaska, and was essentially unchanged in 36 states and the District of Columbia. Over the year, 28 states added nonfarm payroll jobs, 2 states lost jobs, and 20 states and the District were essentially unchanged.
Unemployment
New Hampshire had the lowest unemployment rate in January, 2.7 percent, closely followed by Hawaii, 2.8 percent, and Colorado and South Dakota, 2.9 percent each. The rates in both Arkansas (3.8 percent) and Oregon (4.3 percent) set new series lows. (All state series begin in 1976.) New Mexico had the highest jobless rate, 6.7 percent, followed by Alaska and Alabama, 6.5 percent and 6.4 percent, respectively. In total, 20 states had unemployment rates significantly lower than the U.S. figure of 4.8 percent, 8 states and the District of Columbia had higher rates, and 22 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation. (See tables A and 1 and map 1.)
In January, five states had statistically significant unemployment rate decreases, the largest of which was in Maine (-0.3 percentage point). The remaining 45 states and the District of Columbia had jobless rates that were not significantly different from those of a month earlier, though some had changes that were at least as large numerically as the significant changes. (See table B.)
Six states had statistically significant unemployment rate changes from January 2016, all of which were decreases. The largest of these declines occurred in Nevada (-1.2 percentage points). (See table C.)
page source https://www.bls.gov/news.release/
