Regional and state unemployment rates were generally little changed in July. Twenty-eight states and the District of Columbia registered unemployment rate increases, nine states recorded rate decreases, and thirteen states had no rate change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Thirty-seven states posted unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier, seven states and the District of Columbia reported increases, and six states had no change. The national jobless rate was little changed at 9.1 percent but was 0.4 percentage point lower than a
year earlier.

In July, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 31 states and the District of Columbia and decreased in 19 states. The largest over-the-month increase in employment occurred in New York (+29,400), followed by Texas (+29,300), Michigan (+23,000), and Tennessee (+14,300). Hawaii experienced the largest over-the-month percentage increase in employment (+1.1 percent), followed by Utah (+0.8 percent), Michigan (+0.6 percent), and Delaware, Iowa, Kansas, and Tennessee (+0.5 percent each). The largest over-the-month decrease in employment occurred in Illinois (-24,900), followed by Florida (-22,100), Minnesota (-19,800), and Indiana (-10,100). Minnesota experienced the largest over-the-month percentage decline in employment (-0.7 percent), followed by Illinois and Indiana (-0.4 percent each). Over the year, nonfarm employment increased in 44 states and the District of Columbia and decreased in 6 states. The largest over-the-year percentage increase occurred in North Dakota (+5.2 percent), followed by Texas (+2.6 percent), Utah (+2.5 percent), and Oklahoma and Wyoming (+2.2 percent each). The largest over-the-year percent decrease in employment occurred in Indiana (-1.0 percent), followed by Delaware (-0.7 percent), Georgia (-0.6 percent), and Alabama and Kansas (-0.3 percent each).

Regional Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)

The West reported the highest regional unemployment rate in July, 10.5 percent, while the Northeast recorded the lowest rate, 8.2 percent. Over the month, three regions experienced statistically significant jobless rate changes, all increases: the Midwest (+0.2 percentage point) and South and West (+0.1 point each). Three of the regions registered significant rate changes from a year earlier, all decreases: the Midwest (-0.8 percentage point), West (-0.5 point), and Northeast (-0.4 point).

Among the nine geographic divisions, the Pacific continued to report the highest jobless rate, 11.2 percent in July. The West North Central again registered the lowest rate, 6.8 percent. Over the month, two divisions experienced statistically significant unemployment rate changes: the East North Central (+0.3 percentage point) and Pacific (+0.2 point). Over the year, the East North Central recorded the only significant rate change among divisions (-1.0 percentage point).

State Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)

Nevada continued to register the highest unemployment rate among the states, 12.9 percent in July. California recorded the next highest rate, 12.0 percent. North Dakota reported the lowest jobless rate, 3.3 percent, followed by Nebraska, 4.1 percent. In total, 25 states posted jobless rates significantly lower than the U.S. figure of 9.1 percent, 8 states and the District of Columbia had measurably higher rates, and 17 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation.

Ten states reported statistically significant over-the-month unemployment rate increases in July. Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and South Carolina recorded the largest of these (+0.4 percentage point each), followed by New Hampshire (+0.3 point) and California, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas (+0.2 point each). The District of Columbia also experienced a significant over-the-month rate increase (+0.4 percentage point). The remaining 40 states 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 July 2010 (-2.0 percentage points). Ten additional states had smaller but also statistically significant decreases over the year: New Mexico (-1.8 percentage points), Indiana (-1.6 points), Michigan and Oklahoma (-1.5 points each), Oregon (-1.2 points), Wyoming (-1.1 points), Ohio (-1.0 point), Florida (-0.8 point), Virginia (-0.7 point), and North Dakota (-0.6 point). The remaining 39 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 the largest over-the-month statistically significant job gains were New York (+29,400), Texas (+29,300), Michigan (+23,000), and Tennessee (+14,300). Over-the-month statistically significant declines in employment occurred in Illinois (-24,900), Florida (-22,100), Minnesota (-19,800), and Indiana (-10,100).

Over the year, 24 states experienced statistically significant changes in employment, 23 of which were increases. The largest increase occurred in Texas (+269,500), followed by California (+189,600), New York (+106,600), and Ohio (+74,100). The only state with an over-the-year statistically significant decrease was Indiana (-28,300).