2017 Regional and State Unemployment — 2018-02-27

In 2017, annual average unemployment rates decreased in 32 states and were little changed or unchanged in 18 states and the District of Columbia, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment-population ratios increased in 12 states, decreased in 2 states, and were little changed or unchanged in 36 states and the District. The U.S. jobless rate declined by 0.5 percentage point from the prior year to 4.4 percent, and the national employment-population ratio rose by 0.4 point to 60.1 percent. All four census regions had unemployment rate decreases from 2016: the Midwest, South, and West (-0.6 percentage point each) and the Northeast (-0.3 point). The Midwest had the lowest jobless rate, 4.1 percent in 2017. No other region had a rate significantly different from that of the U.S. The West recorded the lowest unemployment rate in its series, 4.5 percent. (All region, division, and state series begin in 1976.