Regional and State Employment and Unemployment (Monthly) News Release — 2014-08-18

Regional and state unemployment rates were generally little changed in July. Thirty states had unemployment rate increases from June, 8 states had decreases, and 12 states and the District of Columbia had no change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Forty-nine states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier and one state had an increase. The national jobless rate was little changed from June at 6.2 percent but was 1.1 percentage points lower than in July 2013. In July 2014, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 36 states and the District of Columbia, decreased in 13 states, and was unchanged in Iowa. The largest over-the-month increases in employment occurred in Texas (+46,600), California (+27,700), and Michigan (+17,900). The largest over-the-month decrease in employment occurred in Ohio (-12,400), followed by Maryland (-9,000) and South Carolina (-4,600).