Regional and State Employment and Unemployment (Monthly) News Release — 2015-04-21

Regional and state unemployment rates were little changed in March. Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate decreases from February, 12 states had increases, and 15 states had no change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Forty-six states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier, three states had increases, and one state had no change. The national jobless rate was unchanged from February at 5.5 percent and was 1.1 percentage points lower than in March 2014. In March 2015, nonfarm payroll employment decreased in 31 states and the District of Columbia, increased in 18 states, and was unchanged in Idaho. The largest over- the-month decrease in employment occurred in Texas (-25,400), followed by Oklahoma (-12,900) and Pennsylvania (-12,700). The largest over-the-month increases in employment occurred in California (+39,800), Florida (+30,600), and Massachusetts and Washington (+10,500 each).