Regional and State Employment and Unemployment (Monthly) News Release — 2015-12-18

Regional and state unemployment rates were little changed in November. Twenty-seven states had unemployment rate decreases from October, 11 states had increases, and 12 states and the District of Columbia had no change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Forty-five states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier, four states had increases, and one state had no change. The national jobless rate was unchanged from October at 5.0 percent and was 0.8 percentage point lower than in November 2014. In November 2015, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 35 states and the District of Columbia, decreased in 14 states, and was unchanged in Montana. The largest over- the-month increases in employment occurred in Florida (+35,200), Texas (+16,300), and Virginia (+14,400). The largest over-the-month decreases in employment occurred in Nevada (-6,700), Wisconsin (-4,800), and Pennsylvania (-3,400).