Regional And State Employment And Unemployment: November 2003 — 2003-12-19

Regional and state unemployment rates were generally unchanged or slightly lower in November. Nearly twice as many states recorded over-the-month rate decreases than reported increases, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The national jobless rate was essentially unchanged at 5.9 percent in November. Nonfarm payroll employment decreased in 25 states and the District of Columbia in November. The South again had the lowest unemployment rate among the regions in November, 5.3 percent, followed by the Northeast, 5.5 percent, and the Midwest, 5.6 percent. The West continued to report the highest rate, 6.1 percent, despite experiencing a 0.4-percentage point decline from November 2002. Jobless rates in the Northeast and South also were down over the year, by 0.3 percentage point each.