November 1997 — 1998-01-06

State unemployment rates again showed little movement, as 41 states recorded shifts of 0.3 percentage point or less in November, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The national jobless rate, 4.6 percent, was essentially unchanged over the month. Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 43 states in November. Nebraska and North Dakota recorded the lowest unemployment rates (both 1.9 percent) in the nation during November. Iowa and South Dakota registered the next lowest rates, 2.7 percent each, with Minnesota and Utah close behind at 2.8 percent. Fifteen other states had rates below 4.0 percent. The District of Columbia, at 7.8 percent, and Alaska, at 7.4 percent, recorded the highest jobless rates. West Virginia, at 6.6 percent, was the only other state with a rate above 6.5 percent. Overall, 26 states reported rates below the U.S. average, while 20 states and the District of Columbia had higher rates.