1993 Regional and State Unemployment — 1994-04-20

Thirty-seven states had lower annual average unemployment rates in 1993 than in 1992, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. Sixteen states had decreases of 1 percentage point or more, compared with only one state in the prior year. Jobless rates increased in 10 states and the District of Columbia in 1993 and were unchanged in 3 states. Nationally in 1993, the unemployment rate averaged 6.8 percent, down from 7.4 percent in 1992. The unemployment rate declined in all four geographic regions of the country from 1992 to 1993, with the largest decrease occurring in the Northeast. The West had the highest rate in 1993--7.9 percent, little changed from 1992. The Midwest had the lowest rate at 6.0 percent. Among the nine geographic divisions, unemployment rates declined in seven from 1992 to 1993; in the other two, the Pacific and the West North Central, rates were about unchanged.