Regional and State Employment and Unemployment (Monthly) News Release — 2013-06-21

Regional and state unemployment rates were little changed in May. Twenty-five states had unemployment rate decreases, 17 states had increases, and 8 states and the District of Columbia had no change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Forty-one states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier, four states had increases, and five states had no change. The national jobless rate was essentially unchanged from April at 7.6 percent but was 0.6 percentage point lower than in May 2012. In May 2013, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 33 states and the District of Columbia and decreased in 17 states. The largest over-the-month increases in employment occurred in Ohio (+32,100), Texas (+19,500), and Michigan (+18,100). The largest over-the-month decrease in employment occurred in Pennsylvania (-9,200), followed by South Carolina (-7,700) and Florida (-6,200). Nebraska, Ohio, and South Dakota had the largest over-the- month percentage increases in employment (+0.6 percent each).