Regional and State Employment and Unemployment (Monthly) News Release — 2010-07-20

Regional and state unemployment rates were generally lower in June. Thirty-nine states and the District of Columbia recorded unemployment rate decreases, five states had increases and six states had no change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Twenty- four states recorded unemployment rate increases from a year earlier, 22 states and the District of Columbia had decreases, and 4 states had no change. The national jobless rate edged down by 0.2 percentage point to 9.5 percent and was unchanged from June 2009. In June, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 21 states and the District of Columbia, decreased in 27 states, and 2 states had no change. The largest over-the-month increases in employment occurred in Texas (+14,000), Kentucky (+6,200), Arkansas (+6,000), Louisiana (+5,800), and North Carolina (+5,100). Montana recorded the largest over-the-month percentage increase in employment (+1.0 percent), followed by Alaska (+0.9 percent), and Arkansas and Vermont (+0.5 percent each).