Regional And State Employment And Unemployment: May 2005 — 2005-06-17

Regional and state unemployment rates were generally little changed in May. Overall, 23 states and the District of Columbia registered over-the- month unemployment rate increases, 16 states had decreases, and 11 states had no change, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Only two of the decreases and one increase exceeded 0.4 percentage point. Over the year, jobless rates declined in 32 states and the District of Columbia, rose in 13 states, and remained the same in 5 states. In May, the national unemployment rate, 5.1 percent, was essen- tially unchanged from April but was down by 0.5 percentage point from a year earlier. Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 33 states and the District of Columbia over the month and decreased in 17 states. The largest employment gains occurred in California (+17,600), Florida (+9,900), North Carolina (+8,400), Arizona (+7,300), New York (+6,500), and Texas (+6,000).