Regional And State Employment And Unemployment: January 2004 — 2004-03-10

Unemployment rates declined in January in three of the four regions and in most states, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Over the year, unemployment rates declined in about four-fifths of the states. The national jobless rate was little changed at 5.6 percent in January, although it continued a downward trend from mid-2003. Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 31 states and the District of Columbia in January. The South again had the lowest unemployment rate among the four regions in January, 5.2 percent, followed by the Midwest, 5.5 percent, and Northeast, 5.7 percent. The West continued to report the highest rate, 5.9 percent, de- spite a 0.4-percentage point decline from December. The Midwest and South also recorded over-the-month rate decreases of 0.4 percentage point each. All re- gions reported lower jobless rates over the year, led by the West (-0.7 percent- age point) and the South (-0.5 point).