Regional and state unemployment rates were generally little changed in December. Twenty states recorded unemployment rate increases, 15 states and the District of Columbia registered rate decreases, and 15 states had no rate change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.Thirty-one states and the District of Columbia posted unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier, 16 states reported increases, and 3 states had no change. The national jobless rate fell by 0.4 percentage point between November and December to 9.4 percent, 0.5 point lower than in December 2009.

In December 2010, nonfarm payroll employment decreased in 35 states and the District of Columbia and increased in 15 states. The largest over-the-month employment decreases were in New York (-22,800), Minnesota (-22,400), Florida (-17,900), and Georgia (-17,500). The largest over-the-month percentage decreases in employment occurred in Minnesota (-0.8 percent), Alabama and Hawaii (-0.7 percent each), and Delaware and Georgia (-0.5 percent each). The largest over-the-month increases in employment occurred in Texas (+20,000) and South Carolina (+9,000). The largest over-the-month percentage increases in employment were in Idaho (+0.6 percent), Montana and South Carolina (+0.5 percent each), and Alaska (+0.4 percent). Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 42 states and the District of Columbia and decreased in 8 states. The largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment was reported in the District of Columbia (+3.2 percent), followed by Texas (+2.3 percent), New Hampshire (+2.1 percent), North Dakota (+1.7 percent), and Massachusetts (+1.5 percent). The largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment occurred in Nevada (-1.5 percent), followed by New Jersey (-0.8 percent), Missouri (-0.6 percent), and Rhode Island (-0.5 percent).

Regional Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)

The West reported the highest regional unemployment rate in December, 10.9 percent, while the Northeast recorded the lowest rate, 8.4 percent. The Midwest was the only region to experience a statistically significant over-the-month unemployment rate change (-0.3 percentage point). Two of the 4 regions registered significant rate changes from a year earlier: the Midwest (-1.1 percentage points) and Northeast (-0.6 point).

Among the nine geographic divisions, the Pacific continued to report the highest jobless rate, 11.6 percent in December. The West North Central again registered the lowest rate, 7.1 percent. The East North Central was the only division with a statistically significant over-the-month unemployment rate change (-0.4 percentage point). Over the year, four divisions posted measurable rate decreases: the East North Central (-1.6 percentage points), East South Central (-1.1 points), New England (-0.7 point), and Middle Atlantic (-0.6 point). The Mountain division experienced the only significant unemployment rate increase from a year earlier (+0.7 percentage point).

State Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)

Nevada continued to register the highest unemployment rate among the states, 14.5 percent in December. The states with the next highest rates were California, 12.5 percent, and Florida, 12.0 percent. The Nevada rate was the highest in its series. (All region, division, and state series begin in 1976.) North Dakota reported the lowest jobless rate, 3.8 percent, followed by Nebraska and South Dakota, 4.4 and 4.6 percent, respectively. In total 25 states posted jobless rates significantly lower than the U.S. figure of 9.4 percent, 8 states recorded measurably higher rates, and 17 states and the District of Columbia had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation.

In December four states posted measurable over-the-month unemployment rate decreases: Michigan (-0.7 percentage point) and Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa (-0.3 point each). Two states experienced statistically significant rate increases from November--Georgia (+0.2 percentage point) and South Dakota (+0.1 point). The remaining 44 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.

Thirteen states reported statistically significant over-the-year jobless rate decreases in December, the largest of which was in Michigan (-2.8 percentage points). The District of Columbia also posted a significant over-the-year rate decrease (-2.2 percentage points). Colorado and Utah recorded the only significant unemployment rate increases from December 2009 (+1.5 and +0.9 percentage point(s), respectively). The remaining 35 states registered unemployment rates that were not appreciably different from those of a year earlier.

Nonfarm Payroll Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)

Between November and December 2010, 10 states recorded statistically significant changes in employment. The largest over-the-month statistically significant job losses occurred in New York (-22,800) and Minnesota (-22,400). The only over-the-month statistically significant job gains occurred in South Carolina (+9,000) and Idaho (+3,500).

Over the year, 16 states and the District of Columbia reported statistically significant employment increases, while only 1 state experienced a statistically significant decline in employment. The largest statistically significant over-the-year employment increases were posted in Texas (+230,800), Pennsylvania (+65,600), Illinois (+46,300), and Massachusetts (+45,600).The only over-the-year statistically significant decrease in employment occurred in New Jersey (-30,700).