December 1996 — 1997-02-05

Unemployment rates for most states showed little movement in December, as 43 states recorded shifts of 0.3 percentage point or less, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U. S. Department of Labor reported today. The national jobless rate was unchanged from November at 5.3 percent. Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 38 states in December. Nebraska's unemployment rate, 2.4 percent, was the lowest in the nation in December, followed by North Dakota (2.8 percent), South Dakota (3.0 percent), and Utah (3.1 percent). Rates in six other states also were below 4.0 percent. The District of Columbia reported the highest jobless rate, 8.2 percent. Alaska (7.5 percent), West Virginia (7.4 percent), and New Mexico (7.0 percent) were once again the only states with rates of 7.0 percent or more. A total of 35 states had unemployment rates below that of the U.S., and 14 states and the District of Columbia had higher rates.