July 1997 — 1997-08-26

State unemployment rates were little changed in July, as 43 states recorded changes of 0.3 percentage point or less from June, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The national jobless rate edged down to 4.8 percent in July. Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 30 states and the District of Columbia over the month. The Plains states continued to record the lowest jobless rates in the nation in July. At 2.4 percent, Nebraska reported the lowest rate, followed by Iowa and North Dakota (both 2.6 percent) and South Dakota (2.7 percent). Thirteen other states had jobless rates below 4.0 percent. The District of Columbia, at 7.4 percent, reported the highest rate, followed by Alaska, at 7.3 percent. Twenty-nine states registered unemployment rates below the U.S. average, while 20 states and the District of Columbia had higher rates.