November 1996 — 1997-01-08

Unemployment rates for most states showed little movement in November, as 44 states recorded shifts of 0.3 percentage point or less, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The national unemployment rate was 5.4 percent in November, up slightly from 5.2 percent in October. Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 40 states and the District of Columbia in November. In November, Nebraska and North Dakota reported the lowest unemployment rates in the nation (both 2.7 percent), followed closely by South Dakota (2.9 percent), Utah (3.0 percent), and Wisconsin (3.1 percent). Rates in six other states also were below 4.0 percent. Alaska reported the highest unemployment rate (7.5 percent), followed by the District of Columbia (7.3 percent), West Virginia (7.2 percent), and New Mexico (7.1 percent). A total of 36 states had rates below the U.S. average, while 13 states and the District of Columbia had higher rates.