In September, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 26 states and the District of Columbia, decreased in 23 states, and was unchanged in one state (Delaware). The largest over-the-month increases in the levels of employment occurred in Texas (+23,100),California (+9,300), New York (+8,400), North Carolina (+5,700), and Georgia (+5,500). Wyoming reported the largest over-the-month percentage increase in employment (+0.7 percent), followed by Hawaii (+0.6 percent), West Virginia (+0.4 percent),and the District of Columbia and Iowa (+0.3 percent each). The largest over-the-month decreases in employment were recorded in Indiana (-12,300), Michigan (-10,600), Kansas (-6,500), Minnesota (-6,300), and Maryland (-4,400). New Hampshire experienced the largest over-the-month percentage decrease in employment (-0.6 percent), followed by Kansas (-0.5 percent), Indiana (-0.4 percent), and Nebraska (-0.3 percent). Over the year, nonfarm employment increased in 49 states and the District of Columbia and declined in 1 state. The largest over-the-year percentage gains in employment took place in Utah (+4.4 percent), Montana and Wyoming (+3.3 percent each), Arizona (+2.6 percent), and Louisiana (+2.4 percent). The only over-the-year percentage decrease in employment occurred in Michigan (-1.5 percent).
Regional Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)
In September, the Midwest continued to record the highest regional unemployment rate, 5.4 percent. The South again registered the lowest rate, 4.4 percent. The South also was the only region to post a statistically significant unemployment rate change from August (+0.2 percentage point). Over the year, the Midwest and West had the only significant jobless rate changes (+0.5 and +0.3 percentage point,respectively).
Among the nine geographic divisions, the East North Central again reported the highest jobless rate, 5.7 percent in September, while the Mountain continued to record the lowest rate, 3.5 percent. The West South Central division registered the only statistically significant unemployment rate change from August (+0.3 percentage point). The Pacific division posted the largest jobless rate increase from September 2006 (+0.6 percentage point), followed by the East North Central and West North Central divisions (+0.4 point each). The Mountain division recorded the only other significant over-the-year rate change (-0.3 percentage point).
State Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)
In September, Michigan again reported the highest unemployment rate, 7.5 percent, followed by Mississippi and Alaska, at 6.4 and 6.3 percent, respectively. Idaho continued to record the lowest jobless rate, 2.3 percent. Four additional states had rates below 3.0 percent: Hawaii (2.6 percent), Utah (2.7 percent), and Montana and Virginia (2.9 percent each). Arizona posted the lowest jobless rate in its series (3.3 percent). (All state series begin in 1976.) Overall, 18 states registered unemployment rates that were significantly below the U.S. rate, 8 states and the District of Columbia recorded measurably higher rates, and 24 states had rates that were statistically little different from that of the nation.
Tennessee was the only state to register a statistically significant over-the-month unemployment rate increase in September (+0.7 percentage point). Arizona and New York had the only significant jobless rate decreases from August (-0.4 and -0.3 percentage point, respectively). The remaining 47 states and the District of Columbia recorded 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.
In September, Minnesota and Nevada reported the largest jobless rate increases from a year earlier (+0.9 percentage point each). Eight addi-
tional states had smaller, but also statistically significant, over-the-year rate increases. Ten states registered significant over-the-year
unemployment rate decreases. The largest of these was in Idaho (-1.0 percentage point). The remaining 30 states and the District of Columbia recorded jobless rates that were not appreciably different from those of September 2006.
Nonfarm Payroll Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)
Between August and September, five states recorded statistically significant changes in employment with three of those changes being increases. Those statistically significant gains were in Hawaii (+3,700), West Virginia (+2,800), and Wyoming (+2,000). The two statistically significant declines were in Indiana (-12,300) and Kansas (-6,500).
Over the year, 31 states experienced statistically significant changes in employment with only one of those changes being a decrease. The largest job gains occurred in Texas (+217,400), California (+162,000), and Florida (+105,700). Michigan was the sole state to experience a statistically significant decline over the year, with 64,100 jobs lost since September 2006. Six states recorded statistically significant increases in employment that were less than 15,000: Idaho (+14,600), Montana (+14,300), Hawaii (+12,500), South Dakota (+9,400), Wyoming (+9,200), and North Dakota (+4,900).
