Regional and state unemployment rates were generally little changed in September. Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia recorded over-the-month unemployment rate increases, 19 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 9.8 percent in September, up 0.1 percentage point from August and 3.6 points from September 2008.

In September, nonfarm payroll employment decreased in 43 states and the District of Columbia and increased in 7 states. The largest over-the-month decrease in the level of employment occurred in New York(-81,700), followed by Texas (-44,700), California (-39,300), Wisconsin (-21,700), and Michigan (-21,500). The District of Columbia experienced the largest over-the-month percentage decrease in employment (-1.4 percent), followed by New York (-0.9 percent), Kentucky and Wisconsin (-0.8 percent each), and Arizona, Arkansas, Hawaii, and Nebraska (-0.7 percent each). The largest over-the-month increases in employment occurred in Indiana (+4,400), New Mexico (+3,700), Nevada (+2,700), and Utah (+2,500). New Mexico (+0.5 percent) experienced the largest over-the-month percentage increase in employment, followed by Indiana, Nevada, and Utah (+0.2 percent each). Over the year, nonfarm employment decreased in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The largest over-the-year percentage decreases occurred in Arizona and Michigan (-7.5 percent each), Nevada and Oregon (-6.1 percent each), and Georgia (-6.0 percent).

Regional Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)

In September, the West reported the highest regional jobless rate, 10.6 percent, followed by the Midwest, 9.8 percent. The Northeast and
South recorded the lowest rates, 9.0 and 9.3 percent, respectively. No region experienced a statistically significant over-the-month rate
change. Over the year, all four regions registered significant jobless rate increases, the largest of which was in the West (+3.9 percentage points).

Among the nine geographic divisions, the Pacific continued to report the highest jobless rate, 11.6 percent in September, followed by the
East North Central, 11.0 percent, and East South Central, 10.4 percent. The divisions registering the lowest jobless rates were the West North Central, 7.3 percent, and West South Central, 7.9 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) and East North Central (+4.0 points).

State Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)

Michigan again recorded the highest unemployment rate among the states, 15.3 percent, in September. The states with the next highest
rates were Nevada, 13.3 percent; Rhode Island, 13.0 percent; and California, 12.2 percent. The rates in Nevada and Rhode Island set new series highs. Florida, at 11.0 percent, also posted a series high. (All state series begin in 1976.) North Dakota continued to register the lowest jobless rate, 4.2 percent in September, followed by South Dakota, 4.8 percent, and Nebraska, 4.9 percent. In total, 27 states registered jobless rates significantly lower than the U.S. figure of
9.8 percent, 9 states and the District of Columbia had measurably higher rates, and 14 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation.

The only state to report a statistically significant over-the-month unemployment rate increase in September was Illinois (+0.5 percentage point). Four states experienced measurable jobless rate decreases over the month - Minnesota and Ohio (-0.7 percentage point each) and Oregon and Wisconsin (-0.5 point each). The remaining 45 states and the District of Columbia 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 September 2008. The largest of these were in Michigan (+6.4 percentage points), Nevada (+6.0 points), and Alabama (+5.3 points), while the smallest rate increase occurred in North Dakota (+0.9 point).

Nonfarm Payroll Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)

Between August and September 2009, 15 states and the District of Columbia experienced statistically significant changes in employment, all of which were decreases. The largest statistically significant job losses occurred in New York (-81,700), Texas (-44,700), California (-39,300), Wisconsin (-21,700), and Michigan (-21,500). The smallest statistically significant decreases in employment occurred in Hawaii
(-4,200), Nebraska (-6,300), and Arkansas (-7,700).

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 (-732,700), Florida(-360,400), Michigan (-308,800), Illinois (-306,900), Texas (-303,700), Ohio (-258,100), New York (-256,100), and Georgia (-245,400). The smallest statistically significant decreases in employment occurred in South Dakota (-7,900) and Montana (-8,400).