Regional and state unemployment rates were little changed in May. Twenty-four states recorded unemployment rate decreases, 13 states and the District of Columbia registered rate increases, and 13 states had no rate change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Forty-three states and the District of Columbia posted unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier, four states reported increases, and three states had no change. The national jobless rate was essentially unchanged at 9.1 percent, but was 0.5 percentage point lower than a year earlier.

In May, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 22 states, decreased in 27 states and the District of Columbia, and was unchanged in 1 state. The largest over-the-month increase in employment occurred in Florida (+28,000), followed by Ohio (+12,000), Arizona and Louisiana (+10,100 each), and Texas (+8,800). Wyoming experienced the largest over-the-month percentage increase in employment (+0.8 percent), followed by Louisiana (+0.5 percent) and Arizona and Florida (+0.4 percent each). The largest over-the-month decrease in employment occurred in California (-29,200), followed by New York (-24,700), Pennsylvania (-14,200), Michigan (-13,400), and Maryland (-13,300). Alaska experienced the largest over-the-month percentage decline in employment (-1.5 percent), followed by Vermont (-1.2 percent), Delaware (-0.9 percent), and West Virginia (-0.7 percent). Over the year, nonfarm employment increased in 39 states and decreased in 11 states and the District of Columbia. The largest over-the-year percentage increase occurred in North Dakota (+4.3 percent), followed by Texas (+2.0 percent), Nebraska (+1.9 percent), and Wyoming (+1.7 percent). The largest over-the-year percent decrease in employment occurred in Maryland (-0.8 percent), followed by New Mexico (-0.7 percent) and Georgia and Nevada (-0.6 percent each).

Regional Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)

The West reported the highest regional unemployment rate in May, 10.3 percent, while the Northeast and Midwest recorded the lowest rates, 8.0 and 8.1 percent, respectively. The West was the only region to experience a statistically significant over-the-month rate change (-0.1 percentage point). All four regions registered significant rate decreases from a year earlier: the Midwest (-1.5 percentage points), Northeast (-0.8 point), West (-0.7 point), and South (-0.5 point).

Among the nine geographic divisions, the Pacific continued to report the highest jobless rate, 10.9 percent in May. The West North Central again registered the lowest rate, 6.7 percent. The Mountain was the only division to experience a statistically significant over-the-month unemployment rate change (-0.2 percentage point). Over the year, six divisions posted significant rate changes, all decreases; the largest of these was in the East North Central (-1.8 percentage points).

State Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)

Nevada continued to register the highest unemployment rate among the states, 12.1 percent in May. California recorded the next highest rate, 11.7 percent. North Dakota reported the lowest jobless rate, 3.2 percent, followed by Nebraska, 4.1 percent, and New Hampshire and South Dakota, 4.8 percent each. In total, 25 states posted jobless rates significantly lower than the U.S. figure of 9.1 percent, 5 states recorded measurably higher rates, and 20 states and the District of Columbia had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation.

New Mexico experienced the largest over-the-month unemployment rate decrease in May (-0.7 percentage point). Three other states also posted statistically significant rate declines from April--Oklahoma (-0.3 percentage point) and Florida and Idaho (-0.2 point each). The remaining 46 states and the District of Columbia 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 decrease from May 2010 (-2.8 percentage points). Two other states had rate decreases of more than 2.0 percentage points - Michigan (-2.5 points) and Indiana (-2.2 points). Nineteen additional states had smaller but also statistically significant decreases over the year. The remaining 28 states and the District of Columbia registered unemployment rates that were not appreciably different from those of a year earlier.

Nonfarm Payroll Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)

Over the month, 15 states recorded statistically significant changes in employment. The four states reporting over-the-month statistically significant job gains were Florida (+28,000), Arizona and Louisiana (+10,100 each), and Wyoming (+2,200). The largest over-the-month statistically significant declines in employment occurred in California (-29,200), New York (-24,700), Pennsylvania (-14,200), Michigan (-13,400), and Maryland (-13,300).

Over the year, 15 states experienced statistically significant changes in employment, all of which were increases. The largest increase occurred in Texas (+205,400), followed by California (+87,300), Ohio (+65,900), Illinois (+61,600), and Pennsylvania (+44,300).