March 1995 — 1995-05-02

Unemployment rates were lower in March 1995 than a month earlier in 30 states, higher in 16 states and the District of Columbia, and unchanged in 4 states, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The national unemployment rate was 5.5 percent in March, little changed from February. Nonfarm payroll employment rose in 42 states and the District of Columbia over the month. West Virginia had the largest decline in its unemployment rate from February to March--dropping 1.1 percentage points to 7.1 percent. Illinois, Massachusetts, and Utah had over-the-month improvements of at least 0.8 percentage point, and three other states experienced declines of 0.6 or 0.7 percentage point. Texas had the largest unemployment rate rise, from 5.1 to 5.7 percent, returning to about its January level. New York was the only other state to show an increase as large as half a percentage point.