Regional And State Employment And Unemployment: June 2004 — 2004-07-20

Regional and state unemployment rates were generally little changed in June. All 4 regions and 40 states recorded shifts of 0.3 percentage point or less in their unemployment rates from May, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Over the year, unemployment rates declined in all 4 regions and 47 states. The national jobless rate re- mained at 5.6 percent in June. Nonfarm payroll employment rose in 41 states over the month. Among the four regions, the South reported the lowest unemployment rate, 5.0 percent in June, as it has for nine consecutive months. The West again registered the highest rate, 5.8 percent, which it has done in virtually every month since 1992. All four regions posted over-the-year jobless rate declines: the South and West, -0.9 percentage point each; the Midwest, -0.6 point; and the Northeast, -0.4 point.