Between February 2008 and March 2008, employment increased in 22 states, decreased in 27 states and the District of Columbia, and was unchanged in 1 state (Maine). Texas recorded the largest over-the-month increase in employment (+13,200), followed by Minnesota (+5,200), Colorado (+5,100), and Utah (+4,600). New Mexico and Utah experienced the largest over-the- month percentage increase in employment (+0.4 percent each), followed by Hawaii, Montana, and New Hampshire (+0.3 percent each), and Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Dakota, South Dakota, and West Virginia (+0.2 percent each). The largest over-the-month decreases in employment occurred in Michigan (-21,900), Florida (-17,400), Missouri (-10,600), North Carolina (-8,400), South Carolina (-5,400), and Nevada (-5,300). Rhode Island experienced the largest over-the-month percentage decrease in employment (-0.6 percent), followed by Michigan (-0.5 percent), Missouri and Nevada (-0.4 percent each), and Delaware, the District of Columbia, and South Carolina (-0.3 percent each).
Over the year, nonfarm employment increased in 39 states and the District of Columbia and decreased in 11 states. The largest over-the-year percentage increases in employment occurred in Wyoming (+2.9 percent), Utah (+2.3 percent), and Texas (+2.1 per- cent). Rhode Island recorded the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment (-2.0 percent), followed by Michigan (-1.7 percent), Florida (-0.7 percent), and Nevada (-0.4 percent).
Regional Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)
In March, the Midwest and West recorded the highest unemployment rates among the regions, 5.3 percent each. The South again reported the lowest rate, 4.7 percent. The West and South posted the only statistically significant rate changes from February (+0.3 and +0.2 percentage point, respectively). All four regions registered significant over-the-year jobless rate increases. The West had the largest rate increase (+0.8 percentage point), followed by the Northeast and South (+0.5 point each) and Midwest (+0.4 point).
Among the nine geographic divisions, the Pacific reported the highest unemployment rate in March, 5.9 percent, followed closely by the East North Central at 5.8 percent. The Mountain and West South Central divisions recorded the lowest rates, 4.1 and 4.2 percent, respectively. The Pacific and South Atlantic divisions registered the only statistically significant jobless rate changes from a month earlier (+0.4 and +0.3 percentage point, respectively). Eight of the nine divisions posted significant over-the- year unemployment rate changes, all increases: the Pacific (+0.9 percentage point), South Atlantic (+0.8 point), Mountain (+0.6 point), East North Central, East South Central, and Middle Atlantic (+0.5 point each), New England (+0.4 point), and West North Central (+0.3 point).
State Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)
In March, Michigan continued to report the highest jobless rate, 7.2 percent. The states with the next highest rates were Alaska, 6.7 percent; California, 6.2 percent; Rhode Island, 6.1 percent; and Mississippi, 6.0 percent. The District of Columbia had an unemployment rate of 6.2 percent. South Dakota again posted the lowest rate, 2.5 percent, followed by Nebraska at 2.9 percent. Overall, 19 states registered unemployment rates that were significantly below the U.S. rate of 5.1 percent, 5 states and the District of Columbia recorded measurably higher rates, and 26 states had rates that were statistically little different from that of the nation.
Twelve states reported statistically significant over-the-month jobless rate increases in March, the largest of which occurred in Louisiana (+0.8 percentage point). The remaining 38 states and the District of Columbia recorded March unemployment rates that were not appreciably different from those of a month earlier, even though some had changes that were at least as large numerically as the significant changes.
California, Florida, Nevada, and Rhode Island reported the largest jobless rate increases from March 2007 (+1.2 percentage points each). Twenty-two additional states and the District of Columbia had smaller, yet also statistically significant, rate increases. Five states registered significant over-the-year unemployment rate decreases, the largest of which occurred in Oklahoma (-1.2 percentage points). The remaining 19 states recorded jobless rates that were not appreciably different from those of a year earlier.
Nonfarm Payroll Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)
Between February 2008 and March 2008, two states experienced statistically significant changes in employment. The statistically significant decreases in employment occurred in Michigan (-21,900) and Rhode Island (-3,100).
Over the year, 11 states recorded statistically significant changes in em- ployment. The largest statistically significant employment gains were reported in Texas (+213,500), New York (+68,800), Washington (+53,300), North Carolina (+46,000), and Colorado (+40,400). Statistically significant over-the-year employment declines were reported in Michigan (-74,200) and Rhode Island (-10,100). Two states reported statistically significant over-the-year employment increases that were less than 15,000: Nebraska (+13,200) and Wyoming (+8,400).
