2015 Regional and State Unemployment — 2016-02-26

In 2015, annual average unemployment rates decreased in 47 states and the District of Columbia, increased in 2 states, and were unchanged in 1 state, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment-population ratios increased in 35 states and the District of Columbia and decreased in 15 states. The U.S. jobless rate declined by 0.9 percentage point from the prior year to 5.3 percent, and the national employment-population ratio rose by 0.3 point to 59.3 percent. All four regions had statistically significant unemployment rate decreases from 2014: the Midwest, Northeast, and West (-1.0 percentage point each) and the South (-0.7 point). The Midwest, at 4.8 percent, had the only jobless rate significantly lower than that of the U.S. in 2015, while the West, at 5.7 percent, had the only rate significantly above the national figure.