Economic News Release: Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Summary

[Glenda]

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

REGIONAL AND STATE EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT: DECEMBER 2008


Regional and state unemployment rates were universally higher in December. All 50 states and the District of Columbia recorded both over-the-month and over-the-year unemployment rate increases, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The national unemployment rate rose from 6.8 to 7.2 percent in December and was up by 2.3 percentage points from a year earlier.

In December, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 1 state and the District of Columbia, decreased in 48 states, and was unchanged in 1 state (Oklahoma). The only over-the-month increases in the level of employment were recorded in Louisiana (+3,700 or +0.2 percent) and the District of Columbia (+100 or less than +0.1 percent). The largest over-the-month decrease in the level of employment was reported in California (-78,200), followed by Michigan (-59,000), New York (-54,000), Illinois (-36,000), Indiana (-35,300), and North Carolina (-34,900). Idaho (-1.6 percent) experienced the largest over-the-month percentage decrease in employment, followed by Michigan (-1.4 percent), Hawaii and Indiana (-1.2 percent each), and North Carolina and New Hampshire (-0.9 percent each). Over the year, nonfarm employment increased in 8 states and the District of Columbia and decreased in 42 states. Wyoming (+2.2 percent) reported the largest over-the-year percentage increase in em-ployment, followed by Texas (+1.5 percent), Oklahoma (+1.0 percent), Alaska (+0.9 percent), and South Dakota (+0.8 percent). The largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment was reported in Rhode Island (-4.5 percent), followed by Arizona and Idaho (-4.3 percent each), Michigan (-4.1 percent), and Indiana (-3.7 percent).

...

Table C. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from December 2007 to December 2008, seasonally adjusted
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State | December 2007 rate | December 2008 rate | rate change

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Alabama ........................| 3.7 | 6.7 | 3.0
Alaska .........................| 6.3 | 7.5 | 1.2
Arizona ........................| 4.2 | 6.9 | 2.7
Arkansas .......................| 5.5 | 6.2 | .7
California .....................| 5.9 | 9.3 | 3.4
Colorado .......................| 4.0 | 6.1 | 2.1
Connecticut ....................| 4.8 | 7.1 | 2.3
Delaware .......................| 3.5 | 6.2 | 2.7
District of Columbia ...........| 5.7 | 8.8 | 3.1
Florida ........................| 4.5 | 8.1 | 3.6
| | |
Georgia ........................| 4.5 | 8.1 | 3.6
Hawaii .........................| 3.1 | 5.5 | 2.4
Idaho ..........................| 2.7 | 6.4 | 3.7
Illinois .......................| 5.3 | 7.6 | 2.3
Indiana ........................| 4.5 | 8.2 | 3.7
Iowa ...........................| 3.8 | 4.6 | .8
Kansas .........................| 4.2 | 5.2 | 1.0
Kentucky .......................| 5.3 | 7.8 | 2.5
Louisiana ......................| 4.0 | 5.9 | 1.9
Maine ..........................| 4.9 | 7.0 | 2.1
| | |
Maryland .......................| 3.6 | 5.8 | 2.2
Massachusetts ..................| 4.3 | 6.9 | 2.6
Michigan .......................| 7.4 | 10.6 | 3.2
Minnesota ......................| 4.7 | 6.9 | 2.2
Mississippi ....................| 6.3 | 8.0 | 1.7
Missouri .......................| 5.3 | 7.3 | 2.0
Montana ........................| 3.2 | 5.4 | 2.2
Nebraska .......................| 2.8 | 4.0 | 1.2
Nevada .........................| 5.2 | 9.1 | 3.9
New Hampshire ..................| 3.4 | 4.6 | 1.2
| | |
New Jersey .....................| 4.2 | 7.1 | 2.9
New Mexico .....................| 3.2 | 4.9 | 1.7
New York .......................| 4.6 | 7.0 | 2.4
North Carolina .................| 4.7 | 8.7 | 4.0
North Dakota ...................| 3.2 | 3.5 | .3
Ohio ...........................| 5.8 | 7.8 | 2.0
Oklahoma .......................| 4.1 | 4.9 | .8
Oregon .........................| 5.4 | 9.0 | 3.6
Pennsylvania ...................| 4.4 | 6.7 | 2.3
Rhode Island ...................| 5.2 | 10.0 | 4.8
| | |
South Carolina .................| 6.2 | 9.5 | 3.3
South Dakota ...................| 2.9 | 3.9 | 1.0
Tennessee ......................| 5.0 | 7.9 | 2.9
Texas ..........................| 4.2 | 6.0 | 1.8
Utah ...........................| 2.9 | 4.3 | 1.4
Vermont ........................| 3.9 | 6.4 | 2.5
Virginia .......................| 3.2 | 5.4 | 2.2
Washington .....................| 4.6 | 7.1 | 2.5
Wisconsin ......................| 4.8 | 6.2 | 1.4
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p = preliminary.


Read more: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.nr0.htm

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More user friendly article here:

http://money.cnn.com/2009/01/27/news/economy/state_unemployment/?postversion=2009012710

But the official unemployment figures came out at 10am, so not time for the newspapers to catch up to the Bureau of Labor Statistics site

[Phred42]

1. STOP using the U3 figures !!!!

Use the U6 - they are closer to reality

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t12.htm

[pinqy]

3. This should be fun

How exactly is calling people WITH jobs "unemployed" closer to reality? Or people who haven't worked because they were in school or looking after the children by choice "unemployed?" What "reality" are you defining here? U3 is the best OBJECTIVE measure of available and willing labor not being efficiently used.

[denem]

2. cf: Obama's 'upsets' in FL, IN, NC : +3.6%, +3.7%, +4.0% unemployment.

"Jobs, baby jobs" as HRC put in Florida.