Regional And State Employment And Unemployment: October 2002 — 2002-11-20

Regional and state unemployment rates were generally stable in October. All four regions recorded little change from September, and 44 states and the District of Columbia 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 essentially unchanged at 5.7 percent in October. Nonfarm employment decreased in 25 states and the District of Columbia in October. In October, the South reported the lowest unemployment rate, 5.2 percent, closely followed by the Midwest and Northeast with rates of 5.3 percent each. The West continued to post the highest rate, 6.1 percent. Over the year, the Northeast registered the largest unemployment rate increase (+0.5 percentage point). The Midwest and West also reported rate increases (+0.4 and +0.3 point, respectively). The unemployment rate in the South was unchanged over the year.