Regional and state unemployment rates were generally little changed in July. Twenty-six states reported over-the-month unemployment rate increases, 17 states and the District of Columbia registered rate decreases, and 7 states had no rate change, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported. Over the year, jobless rates increased in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. At 9.4 percent in July, the national unemployment rate was little changed from June, but was 3.6 percentage points higher than a year earlier.

Nonfarm payroll employment decreased in 29 states, and increased in 21 states and the District of Columbia. The largest over-the-month decrease in the level of employment occurred in California (-35,800), followed by North Carolina (-26,400), Florida (-25,200), and Illinois(-13,000). North Carolina experienced the largest over-the-month percentage decrease in employment (-0.7 percent), followed by Mississippi (-0.6 percent), and Nevada and New Mexico (-0.5 percent each). The largest over-the-month increases in employment occurred in New York (62,100), Michigan (38,100), Texas (37,900), Tennessee (15,600), and the District of Columbia (13,200). The District of Columbia (+1.9 percent) experienced the largest over-the-month percentage increase in employment, followed by Michigan (+1.0 percent), New York (+0.7 percent), and South Dakota and Tennessee (+0.6 percent each). Over the year, nonfarm employment decreased in 49 states and increased in one state and the District of Columbia. The largest over-the-year percentage decreases occurred in Arizona (-7.5 percent), Michigan (-6.7 percent), Nevada (-6.4 percent), and Oregon (-5.7 percent). North Dakota (+1.0 percent) and the District of Columbia (+0.9 percent) reported over-the-year percentage increases.

Regional Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)

In July, the West reported the highest regional jobless rate, 10.5 percent, followed by the Midwest, 10.2 percent. The Northeast recorded the lowest rate, 8.7 percent. The West was the only region with a statistically significant over-the-month rate change (+0.3 percentage point). All four regions experienced significant unemployment rate increases from July 2008, the largest of which were in the West (+4.2 percentage points) and Midwest (+4.0 points).

Among the nine geographic divisions, the East North Central and Pacific had the highest unemployment rates in July, 11.4 and 11.3
percent, respectively. The Pacific rate was the highest in its series. (All region, division, and state series begin in 1976.) The divisions registering the lowest jobless rates were the West North Central, 7.5 percent, and West South Central, 7.7 percent. The Mountain and
West South Central were the only divisions to experience statistically significant over-the-month unemployment rate changes (+0.4 percentage point each). All nine divisions saw significant over-the-year rate increases, with the largest change occurring in the East North Central (+4.6 percentage points). Three other divisions also experienced changes of 4.0 percentage points or more: the Pacific (+4.4 points), East South Central (+4.3 points), and South Atlantic (+4.0 points).

State Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)

Fifteen states and the District of Columbia reported jobless rates of at least 10.0 percent in July. Michigan continued to have the highest unemployment rate among the states, 15.0 percent. Rhode Island recorded the next highest rate, 12.7 percent, followed by Nevada, 12.5 percent; California and Oregon, 11.9 percent each; and South Carolina, 11.8 percent. The rates in California, Nevada, and Rhode Island set new series highs, along with the rate in Georgia (10.3 percent). North Dakota again registered the lowest jobless rate, 4.2 percent in July. In total, 26 states posted jobless rates significantly lower than the U.S. figure of 9.4 percent, 14 states and the District of Columbia had measurably higher rates, and 10 states had rates that were not significantly different from that of the nation.

Eight states reported significant over-the-month unemployment rate increases in July. Wyoming experienced the largest of these (+0.6 percentage point), followed by Arizona (+0.5 point). Two states, Vermont (-0.5 percentage point) and Minnesota (-0.3 point), had significant rate decreases over the month. The remaining 40 states and the District of Columbia registered July 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.

Michigan reported the largest unemployment rate increase over the year (+6.7 percentage points). Three states had rates more than 5.0 percentage points higher than a year earlier: Nevada (+5.8 points), Oregon (+5.6 points), and Alabama (+5.1 points). All states and the District of Columbia recorded statistically significant increases in their jobless rates from July 2008, with the smallest increase occurring in North Dakota (+0.9 percentage point).

Nonfarm Payroll Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)

Between June and July 2009, 12 states experienced statistically significant changes in employment. Eight states recorded statistically significant over-the-month increases led by New York (+62,100), Michigan (+38,100), and Texas (+37,900). The largest statistically
significant decreases occurred in California (-35,800), North Carolina(-26,400), and Florida (-25,200).