Regional and State Employment and Unemployment (Monthly) News Release — 2015-07-21

Regional and state unemployment rates were little changed in June. Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate decreases from May, 12 states had increases, and 17 states had no change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Forty-two states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier, five states had increases, and three states had no change. The national jobless rate declined from May to 5.3 percent and was 0.8 percentage point lower than in June 2014. In June 2015, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 31 states, decreased in 17 states and the District of Columbia, and was unchanged in 2 states. The largest over-the-month increases in employment occurred in New York (+25,500), California (+23,000), and Texas (+16,700). The largest over-the-month decrease in employment occurred in Illinois (-7,500), followed by New Jersey (-7,400) and Maryland (-6,200).