1997 Regional and State Unemployment — 1998-02-27

As the national unemployment rate decreased from 5.4 percent in 1996 to 4.9 percent in 1997, rates also fell in three-fourths of the states, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. All four of the nation�s regions and eight of the nine divisions experienced jobless rate declines on an annual average basis as well. Unemployment rates were lower in 1997 than in the prior year in 37 states and the District of Columbia, higher in 10 states, and unchanged in 3 states. Seven states recorded decreases of a full percentage point or more: New Mexico (-1.9 percentage points), Washington (-1.7 points), South Carolina (-1.5 points), Nevada (-1.3 points), Delaware (-1.2 points), and New Hampshire and New Jersey (-1.1 points each). No state experienced a rate increase of more than 0.3 point. Twelve states--Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, North Dakota, Utah, and Washington--posted their lowest annual average rates.