April 2001 — 2001-05-18

Regional and state unemployment rates were generally stable in April. All four regions reported little change from March, and 41 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 rose from 4.3 percent in March to 4.5 percent. Nonfarm employment decreased in 29 states. In April, the Northeast again registered the lowest regional unemployment rate, 3.9 percent, while the West continued to have the highest rate, 4.7 percent. Over the year, the Midwest's jobless rate rose by 0.4 percentage point, while the other three regions experienced little or no change in their rates. (See table 1.) Among the nine geographic divisions, New England continued to report the lowest unemployment rate, 3.0 percent in April, followed by the West North Central division, 3.5 percent. The Pacific division recorded the highest unemployment rate, 5.0 percent, while the East South Central division had the next highest rate, 4.7 percent.