February 1997 — 1997-04-01

Unemployment rates for most states showed little movement in February, as 37 states recorded shifts of 0.3 percentage point or less from January, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The national jobless rate was essentially unchanged at 5.3 percent. Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 46 states and the District of Columbia in February. In February, the lowest jobless rates were concentrated in the West North Central states. Nebraska had the lowest unemployment rate in the nation, 2.4 percent, followed by North Dakota (2.6 percent), South Dakota (2.7 percent), and Indiana (2.8 percent). Rates in 11 other states also were below 4.0 percent. Alaska reported the highest unemployment rate (7.6 percent), followed by West Virginia (7.5 percent) and the District of Columbia (7.4 percent). A total of 36 states had rates below the U.S. average, while 14 states and the District of Columbia had higher rates.