Regional And State Employment And Unemployment: February 2003 — 2003-04-15

Most regional and state unemployment rates were little changed in February. All regions and 42 states recorded over-the-month shifts of 0.3 percentage point or less, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The national jobless rate was about unchanged at 5.8 percent. Nonfarm employment decreased in 33 states and the District of Columbia in February. The South had the lowest unemployment rate in February, 5.4 percent, followed closely by the Midwest, at 5.5 percent. The West continued to report the highest rate, 6.2 percent. Over the year, the West register- ed the largest jobless rate decrease among the regions (-0.3 percentage point). The Northeast had the largest increase from a year ago (+0.3 percentage point). (See table 1.) Among the nine geographic divisions, the West North Central continued to record the lowest jobless rate, 4.2 percent in February. The Pacific again reported the highest rate, 6.6 percent.