May 1995 — 1995-06-27

Unemployment rates were lower in May 1995 than a month earlier in 20 states, higher in 25 states and the District of Columbia, and unchanged in 5 states, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The national unemployment rate was 5.7 percent in May, essentially unchanged from 5.8 percent in April. Nonfarm payroll employment rose in fewer than half of the states over the month. South Dakota had the largest unemployment rate decrease from April to May, 1.0 percentage point, followed by Arkansas and Massachusetts, both down 0.9 point. For South Dakota and Arkansas, these declines brought their rates--2.3 and 4.1 percent, respectively--to the lowest levels for each since the beginning of the series in 1978. In Massachusetts, the decline reversed much of the prior month's sizable increase. California, Oregon, and Rhode Island had the largest over-the-month rate increases, 0.6 percentage point each.