Regional and State Employment and Unemployment (Monthly) News Release — 2011-05-20

(NOTE: This release was reissued on Friday, June 17, 2011, to correct the analysis on over-the-year percentage declines in employment in the second paragraph. Kansas replaced Nevada as 1 of the 4 states that reported an over-the-year percentage decline in employment on a preliminary basis. The tables were not affected by this correction.) Regional and state unemployment rates were generally little changed or slightly lower in April. Thirty-nine states recorded unemployment rate decreases, three states and the District of Columbia registered rate increases, and eight states had no rate change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Forty-six states and the District of Columbia posted unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier, three states reported increases, and one state had no change. The national jobless rate edged up by 0.2 percentage point between March and April to 9.0 percent, but was 0.8 point lower than a year earlier.