Regional and State Employment and Unemployment (Monthly) News Release — 2011-06-17

Regional and state unemployment rates were little changed in May. Twenty-four states recorded unemployment rate decreases, 13 states and the District of Columbia registered rate increases, and 13 states had no rate change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Forty-three states and the District of Columbia posted unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier, four states reported increases, and three states had no change. The national jobless rate was essentially unchanged at 9.1 percent, but was 0.5 percentage point lower than a year earlier. In May, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 22 states, decreased in 27 states and the District of Columbia, and was unchanged in 1 state. The largest over-the- month increase in employment occurred in Florida (+28,000), followed by Ohio (+12,000), Arizona and Louisiana (+10,100 each), and Texas (+8,800). Wyoming experienced the largest over-the-month percentage increase in employment (+0.8 percent), followed by Louisiana (+0.5 percent) and Arizona and Florida (+0.4 percent each).