September 1997 — 1997-10-29

State unemployment rates continued to show little change in September, as 45 states and the District of Columbia recorded over-the-month shifts of 0.3 percentage point or less, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The national jobless rate of 4.9 percent was unchanged over the month. Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 42 states over the month. North Dakota reported the lowest unemployment rate in the nation, 2.1 percent--the state�s lowest rate since the series began (in 1978). The next lowest rates were recorded in Nebraska and South Dakota (both 2.6 percent), Iowa (2.7 percent), and New Hampshire and Utah (both 2.8 percent). Nine other states had rates below 4.0 percent. The District of Columbia, at 8.1 percent, recorded the highest jobless rate, followed by Alaska, at 7.5 percent. No other state had a rate of 7.0 percent or greater. Overall, 30 states had unemployment rates below the U.S.