Regional And State Employment And Unemployment: September 2006 — 2006-10-20

Regional and state unemployment rates were generally little changed in September. Thirty-one states recorded over-the-month unemployment rate de- creases, 12 states and the District of Columbia registered rate increases, and 7 states had no change, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Over the year, jobless rates were down in 41 states and the District of Columbia, up in 7 states, and unchanged in 2 states. The national unemployment rate was essentially unchanged in Sep- tember at 4.6 percent, but was 0.5 percentage point lower than a year earlier. Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 37 states and decreased in 13 states and the District of Columbia. The largest employment increases were recorded in California (+17,300), Texas (+15,200), Florida (+14,200), and North Carolina (+10,700). Hawaii posted the largest over-the-month percentage increase in employment (+0.7 percent), followed by Nevada, North Dakota, and Utah (+0.6 percent each), and Delaware (+0.5 percent).