Regional and State Employment and Unemployment (Monthly) News Release — 2015-03-27

Regional and state unemployment rates were little changed in February. Twenty-six states had unemployment rate decreases from January, 6 states and the District of Columbia had increases, and 18 states had no change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Forty-six states had unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier, four states had increases, and the District of Columbia had no change. The national jobless rate edged down to 5.5 percent from January and was 1.2 percentage points lower than in February 2014. In February 2015, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 36 states and the District of Columbia, decreased in 13 states, and was unchanged in Wyoming. The largest over-the-month increases in employment occurred in California (+29,400), Georgia (+25,400), and New York (+20,200). The largest over-the- month decrease in employment occurred in Connecticut (-3,700), followed by Rhode Island (-2,700) and West Virginia (-2,400).