Regional and State Employment and Unemployment (Monthly) News Release — 2016-01-26

Regional and state unemployment rates were little changed in December. Twenty-five states had unemployment rate decreases from November, 14 states had increases, and 11 states and the District of Columbia had no change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Forty-two states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier, while eight states had increases. The national jobless rate was unchanged from November at 5.0 percent and was 0.6 percentage point lower than in December 2014. In December 2015, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 36 states and the District of Columbia, and decreased in 14 states. The largest over-the-month increases in employment occurred in California (+60,400), Texas (+24,900), and Florida (+21,900). The largest over-the-month decreases in employment occurred in Illinois (-16,300), Oklahoma (-5,100), and North Dakota (-4,000). The largest over-the-month percentage increase in employment occurred in Alaska (+0.8 percent), followed by Arkansas, South Carolina, and Tennessee (+0.7 percent each).