Regional And State Employment And Unemployment: June 2006 — 2006-07-21

Regional and state unemployment rates were generally little changed in June. Overall, 20 states and the District of Columbia recorded over-the- month unemployment rate decreases, 19 states registered rate increases, and 11 states had no change, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Depart- ment of Labor reported today. Over the year, jobless rates were down in 40 states and the District of Columbia, up in 6 states, and unchanged in 4 states. The national unemployment rate was unchanged in June at 4.6 percent, but was 0.4 percentage point lower than a year earlier. Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 34 states and decreased in 16 states and the District of Columbia. The largest employment increases were recorded in Texas (+30,000), Minnesota (+14,700), North Carolina (+11,700), California (+11,000), Virginia (+9,100), and New York (+8,700).