Regional and State Employment and Unemployment (Monthly) News Release — 2010-05-21

Regional and state unemployment rates were generally little changed or slightly lower in April. Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia recorded unemployment rate decreases, 6 states had increases, and 10 states had no change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia recorded unemployment rate increases from a year earlier, 10 states had decreases, and 2 states had no change. The national jobless rate increased by 0.2 percentage point to 9.9 percent, up from 8.9 percent in April 2009. In April, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 38 states and the District of Columbia and decreased in 12 states. The largest over-the- month increase in employment occurred in Ohio (+37,300), followed by Pennsylvania (+34,000), New York (+32,700), Texas (+32,500), and Virginia (+28,100). Arizona, Indiana, Kansas, and Virginia experienced the largest over-the-month percentage increases in employment (+0.8 per- cent each), followed by Alabama and Ohio (+0.7 percent each).