Unemployment rates were higher in December in 15 states, lower in 1 state, and stable in 34 states and the District of Columbia, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.
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Eighteen states and the District had jobless rate increases from a year earlier, 15 states had decreases, and 17 states had little change.
The national unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.7 percent but was 0.2 percentage point higher than in December 2022.
Nonfarm payroll employment was essentially unchanged in all 50 states and the District of Columbia in December 2023.
Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 30 states and was essentially unchanged in 20 states and the District.
This news release presents statistics from two monthly programs.
The civilian labor force and unemployment data are modeled based largely on a survey of households.
These data pertain to individuals by where they reside.
The employment data are from an establishment survey that measures nonfarm employment, hours, and earnings by industry.
These data pertain to jobs on payrolls defined by where the establishments are located.
For more information about the concepts and statistical methodologies used by these two programs, see the Technical Note.
Maryland and North Dakota had the lowest jobless rates in December, 1.9 percent each.
The next lowest rate was in South Dakota, 2.0 percent.
Nevada had the highest unemployment rate, 5.4 percent.
In total, 16 states had unemployment rates lower than the U.S.
figure of 3.7 percent, 5 states and the District of Columbia had higher rates, and 29 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation.
(See tables A and 1.) In December, 15 states had over-the-month unemployment rate increases, the largest of which were in Massachusetts and Rhode Island (+0.3 percentage point each).
Minnesota had the only rate decrease (-0.2 percentage point).
Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia had jobless rates that were not notably 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.) Eighteen states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate increases from December 2022, the largest of which was in New Jersey (+1.5 percentage points).
Fifteen states had over-the-year rate decreases, the largest of which were in Maryland and Oregon (-1.1 percentage points each).
Seventeen states had jobless rates that were not notably different from those of a year earlier, though some had changes that were at least as large numerically as the significant changes.
Nonfarm payroll employment was essentially unchanged in all 50 states and the District of Columbia in December 2023.
Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 30 states and was essentially unchanged in 20 states and the District of Columbia.
The largest job gains occurred in Texas (+369,600), California (+311,600), and Florida (+240,600).
The largest percentage increase occurred in Nevada (+3.8 percent), followed by Idaho and South Dakota (+3.0 percent each). ■