In November, nonfarm payroll employment rose in 9 states and fell in 41 states plus the District of Columbia. The largest over-the-month gains in the level of employment were recorded in Washington (+17,400) where some 27,000 aerospace workers ended their strike and returned to payrolls, Texas (+7,300), Oklahoma (+3,000), and Alaska (+2,500). Alaska reported the largest over-the-month percentage gain in employment (+0.8 percent), followed by Washington (+0.6 percent) and Hawaii, North Dakota, and Oklahoma (+0.2 percent each). The largest over-the-month decrease in the level of employment was recorded in Florida (-58,600), followed by North Carolina (-46,000), California (-41,700), Michigan (-36,900), and Georgia (-30,000). North Carolina reported the largest over-the-month percentage decrease in employment(-1.1 percent), followed by Michigan (-0.9 percent), Idaho and Rhode Island (-0.8 percent each), and Florida, Georgia, and Nebraska (-0.7 percent each). Over the year, nonfarm employment rose in 14 states and the District of Columbia and decreased in 36 states. Wyoming recorded the largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment (+2.8 percent), followed by Texas (+2.1 percent), North Dakota (+1.4 percent), and Alaska, Oklahoma, and South Dakota (+1.1 percent each). The largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment occurred in Rhode Island (-3.7 percent), followed by Arizona (-3.1 percent), Idaho and Michigan (-2.7 percent each), and Florida (-2.6 percent).
Regional Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)
In November, the West and Midwest regions again posted the highest jobless rates, 7.3 and 6.9 percent, respectively. The Northeast and South recorded the lowest unemployment rates, 6.1 and 6.4 percent, respectively. All four regions registered statistically significant rate increases from the previous month: the Northeast and South (+0.3 percentage point each) and the Midwest and West (+0.2 point each). All four regions also reported significant jobless rate increases from November 2007: the West (+2.3 percentage points), South (+1.9 points), Midwest (+1.7 points), and Northeast (+1.6 points).
Among the nine geographic divisions, the Pacific and East North Central again recorded the highest unemployment rates in November, 8.0 and 7.5 percent, respectively. The West North Central continued to register the lowest jobless rate, 5.5 percent, followed closely by the West South Central at 5.6 percent, and Mountain at 5.7 percent.Three divisions reported statistically significant over-the-month unemployment rate changes, all increases: the South Atlantic (+0.4 percentage point) and the Middle Atlantic and New England (+0.3 point each). Over the year, all nine divisions had significant rate increases: the Pacific (+2.5 percentage points); South Atlantic (+2.4 points); East North Central, East South Central, Mountain, and New England (+1.8 points each); Middle Atlantic (+1.6 points); and West North Central and West South Central (+1.2 points each).
State Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)
In November, Michigan and Rhode Island reported the highest jobless rates, 9.6 and 9.3 percent, respectively. Four additional states recorded rates of 8.0 percent or more: California and South Carolina,8.4 percent each, Oregon, 8.1 percent, and Nevada, 8.0 percent. The District of Columbia also had a rate of 8.0 percent. Wyoming posted the lowest unemployment rate, 3.2 percent, followed closely by North Dakota and South Dakota, at 3.3 and 3.4 percent, respectively. Overall, 9 states and the District of Columbia registered significantly higher jobless rates than the U.S. figure of 6.7 percent, 25 states reported measurably lower rates, and 16 states had rates little different from that of the nation.
Oregon recorded the largest over-the-month unemployment rate increase in November (+0.9 percentage point). Seventeen additional states and the District of Columbia also experienced statistically significant rate increases. The remaining 32 states registered November 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-five states and the District of Columbia had statisticallysignificant jobless rate increases from November 2007. Rhode Island reported the largest rate increase from a year earlier (+4.1 percent-age points). The states with the next largest rate increases were North Carolina (+3.2 percentage points) and Georgia and Idaho (+3.0 points each). Twelve other states and the District of Columbia posted over-the-year rate increases of 2.0 percentage points or more, and 29 additional states had smaller, but also statistically significant, rate increases from November 2007. The remaining five states recorded November 2008 jobless rates that were not appreciably different from those of a year earlier.
Nonfarm Payroll Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)
Between October and November 2008, 16 states recorded statisticallysignificant changes in employment, with only one of those being anincrease. The only statistically significant job increase occurred inWashington (+17,400). The largest statistically significant job losses were recorded in Florida (-58,600), North Carolina (-46,000), California (-41,700), Michigan (-36,900), Georgia (-30,000), Pennsylvania (-26,000), New York (-23,300), and Illinois (-23,000).
Over the year, 16 states experienced statistically significant changes in employment with only 2 of those being increases. The statistically significant job gains occurred in Texas (+221,200) and Wyoming (+8,200). The largest statistically significant over-the-year decreases occurred in Florida (-206,900), California (-136,000), Michigan (-112,700), Georgia (-90,900), and Arizona (-82,200).
