Jobless rates down in 36 states, up in 5 in Oct.; payroll jobs up in 39 states, down in 11

REGIONAL AND STATE EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT -- OCTOBER 2011


Regional and state unemployment rates were generally little changed or slightly 
lower in October. Thirty-six states and the District of Columbia recorded 
unemployment rate decreases, five states posted rate increases, and nine states had 
no rate change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Forty states 
registered unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier, eight states and the 
District of Columbia had increases, and two states experienced no change. The 
national jobless rate was little changed at 9.0 percent, but was 0.7 percentage 
point lower than a year earlier.

In October, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 39 states and the District of 
Columbia, and decreased in 11 states. The largest over-the-month increases in 
employment occurred in Illinois (+30,000) and California (+25,700). The largest 
over-the-month decrease in employment occurred in Wisconsin (-9,700), followed by 
New York (-8,300) and Minnesota (-6,100). Delaware experienced the largest 
over-the-month percentage increase in employment (+1.0 percent), followed by North 
Dakota (+0.7 percent) and Oklahoma (+0.6 percent). Wisconsin experienced the largest
over-the-month percentage decline in employment (-0.4 percent), followed by Maine, 
Rhode Island, and Wyoming (-0.3 percent each). Over the year, nonfarm employment 
increased in 45 states and the District of Columbia, and decreased in 5 states. The 
largest over-the-year percentage increase occurred in North Dakota (+4.9 percent), 
followed by Oklahoma (+3.1 percent) and Utah (+2.6 percent). The largest 
over-the-year percentage decreases in employment occurred in Georgia (-0.9 percent) 
and Indiana (-0.4 percent).

Regional Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)

The West continued to record the highest regional unemployment rate in October, 10.3 
percent, while the Northeast again reported the lowest rate, 8.1 percent. Over the 
month, the South and West registered statistically significant jobless rate changes 
(-0.1 percentage point each). Two regions had significant rate changes from a year 
earlier, both decreases: the West (-0.7 percentage point) and Midwest (-0.5 point). 
(See table 1.)

Among the nine geographic divisions, the Pacific continued to report the highest 
jobless rate, 10.9 percent in October. The West North Central again registered the 
lowest rate, 6.6 percent. Three divisions experienced statistically significant 
unemployment rate changes over the month: the Pacific, South Atlantic, and West 
North Central (-0.2 percentage point each). Over the year, five divisions recorded
significant rate decreases, the largest of which was in the Mountain 
(-0.9 percentage point). No division had a statistically significant unemployment 
rate increase from October 2010.

State Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)

Nevada continued to record the highest unemployment rate among the states, 13.4 
percent in October. California posted the next highest rate, 11.7 percent. North 
Dakota registered the lowest jobless rate, 3.5 percent, followed by Nebraska, 4.2 
percent. In total, 26 states reported jobless rates significantly lower than the 
U.S. figure of 9.0 percent, 10 states and the District of Columbia had measurably 
higher rates, and 14 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that 
of the nation. (See tables A and 3.)

Twelve states experienced statistically significant over-the-month unemployment rate 
declines in October. The largest of these were in Alabama, Michigan, and Minnesota 
(-0.5 percentage point each), followed by South Carolina and Utah (-0.4 point each). 
Thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia recorded jobless rates that were 
not measurably 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.)

New Mexico registered the largest jobless rate decrease from October 2010 
(-2.0 percentage points). Four additional states reported smaller but also 
statistically significant decreases over the year: Florida (-1.5 percentage points), 
Oregon (-1.1 points), Massachusetts (-1.0 point), and California (-0.8 point). The 
District of Columbia posted the only significant rate increase from a year earlier 
(+1.3 percentage points). Forty-five states recorded unemployment rates that were 
not appreciably different from those of a year earlier.

Nonfarm Payroll Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)

In October, 14 states recorded statistically significant changes in employment, 13 
of which were increases. The largest over-the-month statistically significant job 
gains occurred in Illinois (+30,000), California (+25,700), Virginia (+14,000), and 
Pennsylvania (+13,800). The only state with an over-the-month statistically 
significant decline in employment was Wisconsin (-9,700). (See tables C and 5.)

Over the year, 23 states experienced statistically significant changes in 
employment, 22 of which were increases. The largest increase occurred in California 
(+239,100), followed by Texas (+231,600) and Florida (+93,900). The only state with 
an over-the-year statistically significant decrease in employment was Georgia 
(-33,300). (See table D.)

____________
The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for October is 
scheduled to be released on Tuesday, December 6, 2011, at 10:00 a.m. (EST). The 
Regional and State Employment and Unemployment news release for November is 
scheduled to be released on Tuesday, December 20, 2011, at 10:00 a.m. (EST).



 Table A.  States with unemployment rates significantly different from
 that of the U.S., October 2011, seasonally adjusted
 --------------------------------------------------------------
                 State                |          Rate(p)
 --------------------------------------------------------------
 United States (1) ...................|           9.0
                                      |
 Alaska ..............................|           7.4
 California ..........................|          11.7
 Colorado ............................|           8.1
 Delaware ............................|           7.9
 District of Columbia ................|          11.0
 Florida .............................|          10.3
 Georgia .............................|          10.2
 Hawaii ..............................|           6.5
 Illinois ............................|          10.1
 Iowa ................................|           6.0
                                      |
 Kansas ..............................|           6.7
 Louisiana ...........................|           7.0
 Maine ...............................|           7.3
 Maryland ............................|           7.2
 Massachusetts .......................|           7.3
 Michigan ............................|          10.6
 Minnesota ...........................|           6.4
 Mississippi .........................|          10.6
 Montana .............................|           7.6
 Nebraska ............................|           4.2
                                      |
 Nevada ..............................|          13.4
 New Hampshire .......................|           5.3
 New Mexico ..........................|           6.6
 New York ............................|           7.9
 North Carolina ......................|          10.4
 North Dakota ........................|           3.5
 Oklahoma ............................|           6.1
 Pennsylvania ........................|           8.1
 Rhode Island ........................|          10.4
 South Carolina ......................|          10.5
                                      |
 South Dakota ........................|           4.5
 Texas ...............................|           8.4
 Utah ................................|           7.0
 Vermont .............................|           5.6
 Virginia ............................|           6.4
 Wisconsin ...........................|           7.7
 Wyoming .............................|           5.7
 --------------------------------------------------------------
  1 Data are not preliminary.
  p = preliminary.
 
 
 
 Table B.  States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
 from September 2011 to October 2011, seasonally adjusted
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 |          Rate         |
                                 |-----------|-----------| Over-the-month
              State              | September |  October  | rate change(p)
                                 |    2011   |  2011(p)  |
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Alabama ........................|     9.8   |     9.3   |      -0.5
 California .....................|    11.9   |    11.7   |       -.2
 Florida ........................|    10.6   |    10.3   |       -.3
 Idaho ..........................|     9.0   |     8.8   |       -.2
 Maryland .......................|     7.4   |     7.2   |       -.2
 Michigan .......................|    11.1   |    10.6   |       -.5
 Minnesota ......................|     6.9   |     6.4   |       -.5
 Pennsylvania ...................|     8.3   |     8.1   |       -.2
 South Carolina .................|    10.9   |    10.5   |       -.4
 Tennessee ......................|     9.8   |     9.6   |       -.2
 Utah ...........................|     7.4   |     7.0   |       -.4
 Vermont ........................|     5.8   |     5.6   |       -.2
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
  p = preliminary.
 
 
 
 Table C.  States with statistically significant employment changes from
 September 2011 to October 2011, seasonally adjusted
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
                               |   September |   October   | Over-the-month
            State              |     2011    |   2011(p)   |    change(p)
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
 California....................|  14,125,900 |  14,151,600 |      25,700
 Colorado......................|   2,245,900 |   2,254,700 |       8,800
 Connecticut...................|   1,621,100 |   1,627,600 |       6,500
 Delaware......................|     409,900 |     413,900 |       4,000
 Illinois......................|   5,658,600 |   5,688,600 |      30,000
 Massachusetts.................|   3,228,500 |   3,239,300 |      10,800
 Mississippi...................|   1,097,900 |   1,102,400 |       4,500
 North Dakota..................|     396,400 |     399,000 |       2,600
 Oklahoma......................|   1,564,300 |   1,573,400 |       9,100
 Pennsylvania..................|   5,677,100 |   5,690,900 |      13,800
                               |             |             |            
 Tennessee.....................|   2,639,000 |   2,647,400 |       8,400
 Virginia......................|   3,644,400 |   3,658,400 |      14,000
 Washington....................|   2,812,800 |   2,824,500 |      11,700
 Wisconsin.....................|   2,757,200 |   2,747,500 |      -9,700
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
  p = preliminary.
  
  
  
 Table D.  States with statistically significant employment changes from
 October 2010 to October 2011, seasonally adjusted
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
                               |   October   |   October   | Over-the-year
            State              |     2010    |   2011(p)   |    change(p)
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Arizona.......................|   2,375,200 |   2,420,200 |      45,000
 California....................|  13,912,500 |  14,151,600 |     239,100
 Colorado......................|   2,222,000 |   2,254,700 |      32,700
 Florida.......................|   7,174,500 |   7,268,400 |      93,900
 Georgia.......................|   3,833,400 |   3,800,100 |     -33,300
 Illinois......................|   5,628,100 |   5,688,600 |      60,500
 Louisiana.....................|   1,889,300 |   1,933,500 |      44,200
 Massachusetts.................|   3,189,300 |   3,239,300 |      50,000
 Michigan......................|   3,876,900 |   3,925,800 |      48,900
 Montana.......................|     428,400 |     436,700 |       8,300
                               |             |             |            
 Nebraska......................|     943,800 |     962,700 |      18,900
 New York......................|   8,576,300 |   8,637,800 |      61,500
 North Dakota..................|     380,500 |     399,000 |      18,500
 Ohio..........................|   5,045,800 |   5,108,900 |      63,100
 Oklahoma......................|   1,526,800 |   1,573,400 |      46,600
 Oregon........................|   1,602,100 |   1,626,400 |      24,300
 Pennsylvania..................|   5,636,400 |   5,690,900 |      54,500
 Tennessee.....................|   2,623,300 |   2,647,400 |      24,100
 Texas.........................|  10,384,900 |  10,616,500 |     231,600
 Utah..........................|   1,187,000 |   1,218,100 |      31,100
                               |             |             |            
 Vermont.......................|     298,400 |     303,500 |       5,100
 Washington....................|   2,782,200 |   2,824,500 |      42,300
 Wyoming.......................|     284,300 |     289,200 |       4,900
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
  p = preliminary.