Regional and State Employment and Unemployment (Monthly) News Release — 2014-09-19

Regional and state unemployment rates were generally little changed in August. Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate increases from July, 15 states had decreases, and 11 states had no change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Forty-five states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier, three states had increases, and two states had no change. The national jobless rate was little changed from July at 6.1 percent but was 1.1 percentage points lower than in August 2013. In August 2014, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 35 states and decreased in 15 states and the District of Columbia. The largest over-the-month increases in employment occurred in California (+44,200), Florida (+22,700), and Texas (+20,100). The largest over-the-month decrease in employment occurred in Michigan (-9,500), followed by Arizona (-5,400) and Massachusetts (-5,300).