November 1994 — 1994-12-28

Unemployment rates were lower in November 1994 than a month earlier in 35 states, higher in 8 states and the District of Columbia, and unchanged in 7 states, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The national unemployment rate was 5.6 percent, down from 5.8 percent in October. Nonfarm payroll employment rose in 43 states over the month. Four states--Illinois, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Tennessee-- had unemployment rate declines of about 1 percentage point or more. Illinois had the largest over-the-month decline, dropping 1.3 points to 5.0 percent. Of the seven states with increases, Mississippi experienced the largest, 0.7 percentage point to 6.7 percent. The jobless rates in Delaware and the District of Columbia rose by about half a percentage point over the month. Nebraska, at 2.6 percent, continued to have the lowest unemployment rate in the country. Louisiana (8.1 percent) had the highest unemployment rate.