Regional and state unemployment rates were generally little changed or higher in October. Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia recorded over-the-month unemployment rate increases, 13 states registered rate decreases, and 8 states had no rate change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Over the year, jobless rates increased in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The national unemployment rate rose to 10.2 percent in October, up 0.4 percentage point from September and 3.6 points from October 2008.

In October, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 28 states and the District of Columbia, decreased in 21 states, and remained unchanged in 1 state. The largest over-the-month increase in employment occurred in Texas (+41,700), followed by Michigan (+38,600), California (+25,700), North Carolina (+12,100), and Pennsylvania (+10,600). Michigan experienced the largest over-the-month percentage increase in employment (+1.0 percent), followed by the District of Columbia (+0.8 percent), Montana (+0.7 percent), Oklahoma (+0.6 percent), and Utah (+0.5 percent). The largest over-the-month decrease in employment occurred in New York (-15,300), followed by Florida (-8,500), Georgia (-7,500), Virginia (-7,100), and South Carolina (-5,800). Wyoming (-0.9 percent) experienced the largest over-the-month percentage decrease in employment, followed by Idaho and Nevada (-0.4 percent each), and South Carolina (-0.3 percent). Over the year, nonfarm employment decreased in all 50 states and increased in the District of Columbia. The largest over-the-year percentage decreases occurred in Arizona (-6.9 percent), Michigan (-6.4 percent), Nevada (-6.0 percent), Georgia (-5.6 percent), and Wyoming (-5.5 percent).

Regional Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)

In October, the West reported the highest regional jobless rate, 10.8 percent, followed by the Midwest, 10.0 percent. The rate in the West was the highest in its series. (All region, division, and state series begin in 1976.) The Northeast and South recorded the lowest unemployment rates in October, 9.0 and 9.5 percent, respectively. No region experienced a statistically significant over-the-month rate change. Over the year, all four regions registered significant rate increases, the largest of which was in the West (+3.8 percentage points).

Among the nine geographic divisions, the Pacific continued to report the highest jobless rate, 11.8 percent, in October. The East North Central recorded the next highest rate, 11.2 percent, followed by the East South Central, 10.7 percent, and South Atlantic, 9.9 percent. The Pacific and South Atlantic divisions both set new series highs. The West North Central registered the lowest October jobless rate, 7.3 percent. No division experienced a statistically significant unemployment rate change from a month earlier. In contrast, all nine divisions had significant over-the-year rate increases, with the largest of these occurring in the Pacific (+4.2 percentage points), East South Central(+4.1 points), and East North Central (+4.0 points).

State Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)

Michigan again recorded the highest unemployment rate among the states, 15.1 percent, in October. The states with the next highest rates were Nevada, 13.0 percent; Rhode Island, 12.9 percent; California, 12.5 percent; and South Carolina, 12.1 percent. The rate in California set a new series high, as did the rates in Delaware (8.7 percent) and Florida (11.2 percent). The District of Columbia also set a series high, 11.9 percent. North Dakota continued to register the lowest jobless rate, 4.2 percent, in October, followed by Nebraska, 4.9 percent, and South Dakota, 5.0 percent. In total, 31 states posted jobless rates significantly lower than the U.S. figure of 10.2 percent, 8 states and the District of Columbia had measurably higher rates, and 11 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation.

Eight states reported statistically significant over-the-month unemployment rate increases in October. Alaska and Wyoming experienced the largest of these (+0.6 percentage point each), followed by Arkansas (+0.5 point). The District of Columbia also recorded a significant rate increase (+0.5 percentage point). The remaining 42 states registered jobless rates that were not appreciably different from those of a month earlier, though some had changes that were at least as large numerically as the significant changes.

All states and the District of Columbia recorded statistically significant increases in their jobless rates from October 2008. The largest of these were in Michigan (+6.0 percentage points), Nevada (+5.3 points), and Alabama (+5.2 points), while the smallest rate increase occurred in North Dakota (+1.0 point).

Nonfarm Payroll Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)

Between September and October 2009, six states and the District of Columbia experienced statistically significant changes in employment. Statistically significant job gains occurred in Texas (+41,700), Michigan (+38,600), California (+25,700), Oklahoma (+8,800), the District of Columbia (+5,400), and Montana (+3,200). The only statistically significant decrease in employment occurred in Wyoming (-2,600).

Over the year, 46 states experienced statistically significant changes in employment, all of which were decreases. The largest statistically significant job losses occurred in California (-687,700), Florida (-339,600), Texas (-307,200), Illinois (-286,300), Michigan (-262,700), Ohio (-243,200), New York (-242,500), and Georgia (-228,000). The smallest statistically significant decreases in employment occurred in South Dakota (-7,800) and Vermont (-10,700).