February 1995 — 1995-04-04

Unemployment rates in February 1995 were lower than a month earlier in 28 states and the District of Columbia, higher in 16 states, and unchanged in 6 states, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The national unemployment rate was 5.4 percent, the same as last December, after rising to 5.7 percent in January. Nonfarm payroll employment rose in 41 states over the month. Two states--Florida and New Jersey--had unemployment rate declines of more than 1.0 percentage point in February. In addition, California's jobless rate decreased 0.9 percentage point, while the Mississippi and Arizona rates were down 0.8 point. In the case of Florida, February marked the third consecutive monthly decline in joblessness, while, in California and New Jersey, the current drops reversed increases in the previous month. The Arizona and Mississippi declines followed similar drops in January. North Carolina had the largest over-the-month increase, 0.8 percentage point, followed closely by Montana's 0.7 point rise.