October 1996 — 1996-11-26

Unemployment rates for most states showed little change in October, as 45 states and the District of Columbia recorded shifts of 0.3 percentage point or less, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The national unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.2 percent. Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 38 states over the month. In October, North Dakota reported the lowest unemployment rate in the nation, 2.5 percent, and its lowest since the series began in 1978. Jobless rates in Nebraska (2.7 percent) and South Dakota (2.8 percent) followed closely, while six additional states had rates below 4.0 percent. The District of Columbia, at 8.4 percent, again reported the highest jobless rate, followed by West Virginia (7.4 percent), Alaska and Louisiana (both 7.2 percent), and New Mexico (7.0 percent). Overall, 33 states had jobless rates below the U.S. average, while 13 states and the District of Columbia had higher rates.