Regional and State Employment and Unemployment (Monthly) News Release — 2014-04-18

Regional and state unemployment rates were generally little changed in March. Twenty-one states had unemployment rate decreases, 17 states and the District of Columbia had increases, and 12 states had no change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Forty-six states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier and four states had increases. The national jobless rate was unchanged from February at 6.7 percent but was 0.8 percentage point lower than in March 2013. In March 2014, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 34 states, decreased in 16 states, and was unchanged in the District of Columbia. The largest over-the-month increases in employment occurred in Florida (+22,900), North Carolina (+19,400), and Georgia (+14,600). The largest over-the-month decrease in employment occurred in Pennsylvania (-8,400), followed by Virginia (-5,100) and Illinois (-3,200).