October 1995 — 1995-11-29

Unemployment rates were lower in October 1995 than a month earlier in 27 states and the District of Columbia, higher in 16 states, and unchanged in 7 states, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The national unemployment rate was 5.5 percent in October, little changed from 5.6 percent in September. Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 37 states over the month. Two states--Pennsylvania and Missouri--experienced declines of greater than 1.0 percentage point in their unemployment rates, while Florida was the only state to post an increase of that magnitude. The rate in Pennsylvania dropped 1.3 percentage points to 5.1 percent, more than offsetting last month's rise of 0.9 percentage point and reaching its lowest level since August 1990. In Missouri, the rate fell 1.2 percentage points to 4.0 percent, its lowest on record. Five other states had jobless rate declines of greater than 0.5 percentage point.