Regional and State Employment and Unemployment (Monthly) News Release — 2015-08-21

Regional and state unemployment rates were little changed in July. Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate decreases from June, 14 states had increases, and 12 states had no change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Forty-one states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier, six states had increases, and three states had no change. The national jobless rate was unchanged from June at 5.3 percent and was 0.9 percentage point lower than in July 2014. In July 2015, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 34 states and decreased in 16 states and the District of Columbia. The largest over-the-month increases in employment occurred in California (+80,700), Texas (+31,400), and Florida (+30,500). The largest over-the-month decrease in employment occurred in New Jersey (-13,600), followed by Louisiana (-4,500) and Kansas (-4,300).