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. 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 percent each), followed by Alabama and Ohio (+0.7 percent each). The largest over-the-month decreases in employment occurred in Maine (-6,500), Rhode Island (-4,400), Colorado (-4,200), and New Hampshire (-4,100). Maine experienced the largest over-the-month percentage decrease in employment (-1.1 percent), followed by Rhode Island (-1.0 percent), New Hampshire (-0.7 percent), Vermont (-0.6 percent), and Alaska (-0.5 percent). Over the year, nonfarm employment decreased in 48 states and increased in 2 states and the District of Columbia. The largest over-the-year percentage decreases occurred in Nevada (-3.5 percent), Rhode Island (-2.7 percent), Colorado (-2.6 percent), and California (-2.5 percent).

Regional Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)

The West reported the highest regional jobless rate in April, 10.9 percent, while the Northeast recorded the lowest rate, 8.9 percent. The South was the only region to experience a statistically significant over-the-month unemployment rate change (-0.2 percentage point). In contrast, all four regions registered significant rate increases from a year earlier: the West (+1.1 percentage points), South (+0.9 point), Northeast (+0.8 point), and Midwest (+0.6 point).

Among the nine geographic divisions, the Pacific continued to report the highest unemployment rate, 11.8 percent in April. The East North Central recorded the next highest jobless rate, 11.2 percent. The West North Central registered the lowest rate, 7.3 percent, followed by the West South Central, 7.9 percent. Only the South Atlantic division experienced a statistically significant unemployment rate change from a month earlier (-0.3 percentage point). Seven of the 9 divisions reported significant over-the-year rate changes, all of which were increases. The largest of these occurred in the Pacific, South Atlantic, and New England divisions (+1.3, +1.1, and +1.0 percentage point(s), respectively).

State Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)

Michigan again recorded the highest unemployment rate among the states, 14.0 percent in April. The states with the next highest rates were Nevada, 13.7 percent; California, 12.6 percent; and Rhode Island, 12.5 percent. North Dakota continued to register the lowest jobless rate, 3.8 percent, followed by South Dakota and Nebraska, 4.7 and 5.0
percent, respectively. The rate in Nevada set a new series high. (All region, division, and state series begin in 1976.) In total, 27 states posted jobless rates significantly lower than the U.S. figure of 9.9 percent, 10 states and the District of Columbia had measurably higher rates, and 13 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation.

In April, 12 states recorded statistically significant unemployment rate decreases, the largest of which was in South Carolina (-0.6 percentage point).The District of Columbia also posted an appreciable rate decrease from a month earlier (-0.5 percentage point). No state reported a significant over-the-month unemployment rate increase. The remaining 38 states registered jobless rates that were not measurably different from those of a month earlier, though some had changes that were at least as large numerically as the significant changes.

Nevada recorded the largest jobless rate increase from April 2009 (+2.7 percentage points), followed by Mississippi (+2.3 points) and Florida, New Mexico, and Rhode Island (+2.1 points each). Seventeen additional states and the District of Columbia had smaller, but also statistically significant, increases. Minnesota reported the largest rate decrease from a year earlier (-1.1 percentage points). Vermont and North Dakota experienced the only other significant rate decreases (-0.8 and -0.6 percentage point, respectively). The remaining 25 states registered jobless rates that were not appreciably different from those of a year earlier.

Nonfarm Payroll Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)

Over the month, 18 states experienced statistically significant increases in employment; 4 states had statistically significant decreases in employment. The largest statistically significant job gain occurred in Ohio (+37,300), followed by Pennsylvania (+34,000), New York (+32,700), and Texas(+32,500). The largest statistically significant decreases in employment occurred in Maine (-6,500), Rhode Island (-4,400), and New Hampshire (-4,100).

Over the year, 28 states experienced statistically significant changes in employment; of these, 27 states experienced decreases and 1 state experienced an increase. The largest statistically significant job losses occurred in California (-355,500), Florida (-117,900), Georgia (-94,000), and Illinois (-90,300). The only statistically significant job gain occurred in North Dakota (+6,000).