Regional and state unemployment rates were nearly all higher in March. Forty-six states recorded over-the-month unemployment rate increases, North Dakota and the District of Columbia registered rate decreases, and 3 states had no change in their rate, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported. Over the year, jobless rates were up in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The national unemployment rate rose from 8.1 percent in February to 8.5 percent in March, which was 3.4 percent-age points higher than in March 2008.

In March 2009, nonfarm payroll employment decreased in 48 states and the District of Columbia and rose in 2 states. The largest over-the-month employment decrease occurred in California (-62,100), followed by Florida (-51,900), Texas (-47,100), North Carolina (-41,300), Illinois (-39,600), and Ohio (-37,500). North Carolina experienced the largest over-the-month percentage decrease in employment (-1.0 percent), followed by Idaho, Minnesota, and Washington (-0.9 percent each) and Delaware, Nebraska, and Oregon (-0.8 percent each). The 2 states to show an over-the-month increase in employment were Mississippi (+300 or less than +0.1 percent) and North Dakota (+300 or +0.1 percent). Over the year, nonfarm employment decreased in 46 states and increased in 4 states and the District of Columbia. The largest over-the-year percentage decreases in employment occurred in Arizona (-7.0 percent), Michigan (-6.4 percent), Florida, Nevada, and Oregon (-5.4 percent each), and Idaho and North Carolina (-5.0 percent each). The over-the-year percentage increases in employment occurred in the District of Columbia (+0.8 percent), Alaska (+0.7 percent), North Dakota (+0.3 percent), and Louisiana and Wyoming (+0.2 percent each).

Regional Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)

In March, the West posted the highest regional jobless rate, 9.8 percent, followed by the Midwest, at 9.0 percent. The Northeast recorded the lowest rate, 7.9 percent. The West reported the largest over-the-month rate increase (+0.6 percentage point), while the Midwest and South registered smaller, but also statistically significant, rate increases (+0.4 and +0.3 point, respectively). All four regions reported significant jobless rate increases from March 2008, the largest of which was recorded in the West (+4.3 percentage points).

Among the nine geographic divisions, the Pacific and East North Central reported the highest unemployment rates in March, 10.8 and 10.0 percent, respectively. The West South Central registered the lowest jobless rate, 6.5 percent. Five of the 9 divisions experienced statistically significant over-the-month unemployment rate changes, all of which were increases: the Pacific (+0.7 percent-age point), East South Central (+0.6 point), East North Central (+0.5 point), Mountain (+0.3 point), and West South Central (+0.2 point). All nine divisions had significant over-the-year rate in-creases, with the Pacific recording the largest (+4.8 percentage points).

State Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)

In March, Michigan again reported the highest jobless rate, 12.6 percent. The states with the next highest rates were Oregon, 12.1 percent; South Carolina, 11.4 percent; California, 11.2 percent; North Carolina, 10.8 percent; Rhode Island, 10.5 percent; Nevada, 10.4 percent; and Indiana, 10.0 percent. Nine additional states and the District of Columbia recorded unemployment rates of at least 9.0 percent. The California and North Carolina rates were the highest on record for those states. (All state series begin in 1976.) North Dakota registered the lowest unemployment rate, 4.2 percent, in March. Overall, 12 states and the District of Columbia had significantly higher jobless rates than the U.S. figure of 8.5 percent, 25 states reported measurably lower rates, and 13 states had rates little different from that of the nation.

Twenty states recorded statistically significant over-the-month unemployment rate increases in March. Oregon reported the largest of these (+1.4 percentage points), followed by Washington and West Virginia (+0.9 point each). Thirty states and the District of Columbia registered March 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.

Oregon reported the largest jobless rate increase from a year earlier (+6.6 percentage points), followed by South Carolina (+5.5 points), North Carolina (+5.4 points), and Michigan (+5.0 points). Eight additional states recorded rate increases of 4.0 percentage points or more, and 17 other states and the District of Columbia posted over-the-year rate increases of at least 3.0 percentage points. The remaining 21 states had smaller, but also statistically significant, rate increases from March 2008.

Nonfarm payroll employment (Seasonally Adjusted)

Between February and March 2009, 32 states experienced statistically significant changes in employment, all of which were decreases. The largest statistically significant decreases occurred in California (-62,100), Florida (-51,900), Texas (-47,100), and North Carolina (-41,300).

Over the year, 41 states experienced statistically significant changes in employment, all of which were decreases. The largest decreases occurred in California (-637,400), Florida (-424,300), Michigan (-270,500), Illinois (-232,600), Ohio (-229,500), and North Carolina (-210,000). Two states recorded statistically significant changes that were less than 15,000: Vermont (-13,300) and Montana (-8,300).