Between July and August 2008, nonfarm payroll employment in- creased in 32 states and the District of Columbia, and decreased in 18 states. The largest over-the-month gains in the level of em- ployment occurred in Louisiana (+9,400), Texas (+6,800), Nebraska (+4,900), the District of Columbia (+4,300), Indiana (+4,100), and Washington (+4,000). Montana experienced the largest over-the-month percentage increase in employment (+0.7 percent), followed by the District of Columbia (+0.6 percent), Louisiana and Nebraska (+0.5 percent each), and Hawaii (+0.4 percent). The largest over-the-month decreases occurred in Georgia (-26,200), Michigan (-19,900), Florida (-11,100), California (-7,700), and Oregon (-7,400). Georgia (-0.6 percent) recorded the largest over-the-month percentage decrease in employment, followed by Michigan (-0.5 percent), Oregon (-0.4 percent), and Kentucky, Mississippi, Vermont, and Wyoming (-0.3 percent each). Over the year, nonfarm employment increased in 27 states and the District of Columbia, and decreased in 23 states. The largest over-the-year percentage increases in employment occurred in the District of Columbia (+3.2 percent), Texas (+2.4 percent), Wyoming (+2.0 per-cent), South Dakota (+1.8 percent), and North Dakota (+1.6 percent). Rhode Island recorded the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment (-2.6 percent), followed by Arizona (-1.9 percent), Michigan (-1.6 percent), Florida (-1.2 percent), Indiana (-1.1 percent), and Georgia (-1.0 percent).
Regional Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)
In August, the Midwest and West regions again posted the highest jobless rates, 6.7 and 6.6 percent, respectively. The South and Northeast recorded the lowest unemployment rates, 5.7 and 5.8 percent, respectively. The Northeast, West, and South registered statistically significant rate changes from the previous month (+0.5, +0.3, and +0.2 percentage point, respectively). All four regions reported significant jobless rate increases from August 2007: the West (+1.8 percent age points), Midwest and South (+1.4 points each), and Northeast (+1.3 points).
Among the nine geographic divisions, the East North Central and Pacific posted the highest unemployment rates in August, 7.2 percent each. The West South Central again recorded the lowest jobless rate, 4.9 percent. The Mountain division registered the next lowest rate, 5.2 percent. Six divisions reported statistically significant over the-month unemployment rate changes, all increases: the Middle Atlantic (+0.6 percentage point) and Mountain, New England, Pacific, South Atlantic, and West South Central (+0.3 point each). Over the year, all nine divisions had significant rate increases: the Pacific and South Atlantic (+1.9 percentage points each), East South Central (+1.6 points), East North Central and Mountain (+1.5 points each), Middle Atlantic (+1.4 points), New England (+1.3 points), West North Central (+1.1 points), and West South Central (+0.6 point).
State Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)
In August, Michigan and Rhode Island posted the highest jobless rates, 8.9 and 8.5 percent, respectively. Six additional states recorded rates of more than 7.0 percent: California and Mississippi, 7.7 percent each; South Carolina, 7.6 percent; Ohio, 7.4 percent; Illinois, 7.3 percent; and Nevada, 7.1 percent. South Dakota again logged the lowest unemployment rate, 3.3 percent, followed by Nebraska at 3.5 percent, North Dakota at 3.6 percent, Utah at 3.7 percent, and Wyoming at 3.9 percent. West Virginia recorded the lowest rate in its series in August, 4.1 percent. (All state series begin in 1976.) Overall, 10 states registered significantly higher jobless rates than the U.S. figure of 6.1 percent, 25 states reported measurably lower rates, and 15 states and the District of Columbia had rates little different from that of the nation.
Connecticut, Louisiana, and Rhode Island posted the largest unemployment rate increases from July to August (+0.7 percentage point each). Twenty-one additional states also experienced statistically significant rate increases. The remaining 26 states and the District of Columbia registered August unemployment 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.
Forty-six states and the District of Columbia had statistically significant jobless rate increases from August 2007. Rhode Island reported the largest rate increase (+3.4 percentage points) from a year earlier, followed by Florida (+2.3 points), California, Nevada, and North Carolina (+2.2 points each), and Illinois (+ 2.1 points). Twenty-seven other states and the District of Columbia posted over- the-year rate increases of 1.0 percentage point or more, and 13 additional states had smaller, but also statistically significant, rate increases from August 2007. Two states experienced statistically significant unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier, Arkansas (-0.7 percentage point) and West Virginia (-0.6 point). The remaining two states recorded August 2008 jobless rates that were not appreciably different from those of a year earlier.
Nonfarm Payroll Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)
Between July and August 2008, six states registered statistically significant changes in employment. The statistically significant job gains occurred in Louisiana (+9,400), Nebraska (+4,900), and Montana (+3,300), while Georgia (-26,200), Michigan (-19,900), and Oregon (-7,400) had statistically significant losses in employment.
Over the year, nine states experienced statistically significant changes in employment. The largest statistically significant job gain occurred in Texas (+252,000), followed by Washington (+31,500), the District of Columbia (+21,900), and South Dakota (+7,300). The statistically significant over-the-year decreases occurred in Florida (-99,100), Michigan (-69,900), Arizona (-50,800), Georgia (-41,600), and Rhode Island (-12,800).
