Regional and State Employment and Unemployment (Monthly) News Release — 2014-12-19

Regional and state unemployment rates were little changed in November. Forty-one states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate decreases from October, three states had increases, and six states had no change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Forty-three states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier, four states had increases, and three states had no change. The national jobless rate was unchanged from October at 5.8 percent and was 1.2 percentage points lower than in November 2013. In November 2014, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 37 states and the District of Columbia, decreased in 12 states, and was unchanged in Idaho. The largest over-the-month increases in employment occurred in California (+90,100), Florida (+41,900), and Texas (+34,800). The largest over-the-month decrease in employment occurred in West Virginia (-5,200), followed by Mississippi (-4,500) and Kansas (-4,100).