January 1996 — 1996-03-07

Unemployment rates were higher in January 1996 than a month earlier in 28 states, lower in 12 states and the District of Columbia, and unchanged in 10 states, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The national unemployment rate was 5.8 percent in January, up from 5.6 percent in December. Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 21 states over the month. One state--Alabama--experienced a decline of a full percentage point in its unemployment rate over the month, while no state posted an increase of that magnitude. At 4.6 percent, the rate in Alabama is its lowest on record. The Colorado jobless rate dropped 0.6 percentage point, from 3.9 to 3.3 percent. West Virginia recorded the largest rate increase, from 7.6 to 8.3 percent. Over the month, jobless rates in 39 states changed by 0.3 percentage point or less. Over the year, 26 states experienced unemployment rate declines, while 22 states and the District of Columbia showed increases.