Regional and State Employment and Unemployment (Monthly) News Release — 2015-10-20

Regional and state unemployment rates were little changed in September. Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate decreases from August, six states had increases, and seven states 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, seven states had increases, and two states had no change. The national jobless rate was unchanged from August at 5.1 percent and was 0.8 percentage point lower than in September 2014. In September 2015, nonfarm payroll employment decreased in 27 states, increased in 20 states and the District of Columbia, and remained unchanged in 3 states. The largest over-the-month decreases in employment occurred in Missouri (-16,500), Pennsylvania (-16,400), and Michigan (-9,800). The largest over-the-month increases in employment occurred in Texas (+26,600), New York (+12,000), and Georgia (+9,100).