For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Friday, September 21, 2012 USDL-12-1890
Technical information:
Employment: (202) 691-6559 * sminfo@bls.gov * www.bls.gov/sae
Unemployment: (202) 691-6392 * lausinfo@bls.gov * www.bls.gov/lau
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 * PressOffice@bls.gov
REGIONAL AND STATE EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT -- AUGUST 2012
Regional and state unemployment rates were generally little changed in August.
Twenty-six states recorded unemployment rate increases, 12 states and the District of
Columbia posted rate decreases, and 12 states had no change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics reported today. Forty-two states and the District of Columbia registered
unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier, seven states experienced increases,
and one had no change. The national jobless rate edged down to 8.1 percent from July
and was 1.0 percentage point lower than in August 2011.
In August 2012, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 28 states, decreased in 21
states and the District of Columbia, and was unchanged in Colorado. The largest
over-the-month increase in employment occurred in Texas (+38,000), followed by Florida
(+23,200) and Missouri (+17,900). The largest over-the-month decreases in employment
occurred in Virginia (-12,400), the District of Columbia (-11,200), and Washington
(-8,800). Hawaii, Missouri, and Oklahoma experienced the largest over-the-month
percentage increases in employment (+0.7 percent each). The District of Columbia
experienced the largest over-the-month percentage decline in employment (-1.5 percent),
followed by Vermont (-0.8 percent) and New Mexico (-0.7 percent). Over the year,
nonfarm employment increased in 42 states and the District of Columbia and decreased
in 8 states. The largest over-the-year percentage increase occurred in North Dakota
(+6.7 percent), followed by Oklahoma (+2.9 percent) and Texas (+2.5 percent). The
largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment occurred in New Mexico
(-1.7 percent), followed by West Virginia (-0.7 percent) and Rhode Island
(-0.6 percent).
Regional Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)
The West continued to record the highest regional unemployment rate in August, 9.4
percent, while the Midwest again reported the lowest rate, 7.5 percent. Over the month,
the Northeast experienced the only statistically significant unemployment rate change
(+0.2 percentage point). Significant over-the-year rate changes were registered in the
Midwest and West (-1.0 percentage point each) and South (-0.9 point). (See table 1.)
Among the nine geographic divisions, the Pacific continued to report the highest jobless
rate, 10.0 percent in August. The West North Central again registered the lowest rate,
5.9 percent. New England was the only division to experience a statistically significant
over-the-month unemployment rate change (+0.2 percentage point). Seven divisions had
significant rate changes from a year earlier, all of which were decreases. The largest
of these declines occurred in the East North Central and Pacific (-1.1 percentage points
each).
State Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)
Nevada continued to record the highest unemployment rate among the states, 12.1 percent
in August. Rhode Island and California posted the next highest rates, 10.7 and 10.6
percent, respectively. North Dakota again registered the lowest jobless rate, 3.0
percent. In total, 21 states reported jobless rates significantly lower than the U.S.
figure of 8.1 percent, 12 states had measurably higher rates, and 17 states and the
District of Columbia had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the
nation. (See tables A and 3.)
Nine states reported statistically significant over-the-month unemployment rate changes
in August, of which seven were increases and two were decreases. The significant
increases occurred in Connecticut (+0.5 percentage point), Michigan (+0.4 point), New
Hampshire and Vermont (+0.3 point each), and Iowa, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania
(+0.2 point each). Hawaii and Utah registered the only significant declines over the
month (-0.2 percentage point each). The remaining 41 states and the District of
Columbia recorded 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.
Sixteen states and the District of Columbia reported statistically significant
unemployment rate decreases from August 2011, the largest of which occurred in
Mississippi (-1.8 percentage points). New York experienced the only significant
over-the-year increase in its unemployment rate (+0.8 percentage point). (See table B.)
Nonfarm Payroll Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)
In August 2012, 13 states and the District of Columbia recorded statistically significant
over-the-month changes in employment, 7 of which were increases. The largest
statistically significant increases in employment occurred in Texas (+38,000), Florida
(+23,200), and Missouri (+17,900). The largest statistically significant decline in
employment occurred in Virginia (-12,400), followed by the District of Columbia
(-11,200) and Washington (-8,800). (See tables C and 5.)
Over the year, 27 states experienced statistically significant changes in employment, 26
of which were increases. The largest increase occurred in California (+298,700), followed
by Texas (+259,500), New York (+121,900), and Ohio (+98,300). The decrease occurred in
New Mexico (-13,300). (See table D.)
__________
The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for August is scheduled
to be released on Wednesday, October 3, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT). The Regional and
State Employment and Unemployment news release for September is scheduled to be released
on Friday, October 19, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).
_________________________________________________________________
| |
| Corrections to CES Data |
| |
| This news release contains corrections to previously released |
| employment data in tables C, D, 5, and 6. A complete listing of |
| corrections in this news release and in the CES (state and area)|
| database can be found at www.bls.gov/bls/errata/sae_errata.htm. |
|_________________________________________________________________|
Table A. States with unemployment rates significantly different
from that of the U.S., August 2012, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------
State | Rate(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------
United States (1) ...................| 8.1
|
California ..........................| 10.6
Connecticut .........................| 9.0
Delaware ............................| 6.9
Florida .............................| 8.8
Georgia .............................| 9.2
Hawaii ..............................| 6.1
Illinois ............................| 9.1
Iowa ................................| 5.5
Kansas ..............................| 6.2
Maryland ............................| 7.1
|
Massachusetts .......................| 6.3
Michigan ............................| 9.4
Minnesota ...........................| 5.9
Missouri ............................| 7.2
Montana .............................| 6.3
Nebraska ............................| 4.0
Nevada ..............................| 12.1
New Hampshire .......................| 5.7
New Jersey ..........................| 9.9
New Mexico ..........................| 6.5
|
New York ............................| 9.1
North Carolina ......................| 9.7
North Dakota ........................| 3.0
Ohio ................................| 7.2
Oklahoma ............................| 5.1
Rhode Island ........................| 10.7
South Carolina ......................| 9.6
South Dakota ........................| 4.5
Texas ...............................| 7.1
Utah ................................| 5.8
|
Vermont .............................| 5.3
Virginia ............................| 5.9
Wyoming .............................| 5.7
--------------------------------------------------------------
1 Data are not preliminary.
p = preliminary.
Table B. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from August 2011 to August 2012, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rate |
|-----------|-----------| Over-the-year
State | August | August | change(p)
| 2011 | 2012(p) |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
California .....................| 11.9 | 10.6 | -1.3
District of Columbia ...........| 10.5 | 8.8 | -1.7
Florida ........................| 10.5 | 8.8 | -1.7
Hawaii .........................| 6.8 | 6.1 | -.7
Idaho ..........................| 8.8 | 7.4 | -1.4
Illinois .......................| 10.2 | 9.1 | -1.1
Kentucky .......................| 9.6 | 8.5 | -1.1
Massachusetts ..................| 7.4 | 6.3 | -1.1
Mississippi ....................| 10.9 | 9.1 | -1.8
Missouri .......................| 8.6 | 7.2 | -1.4
| | |
Nevada .........................| 13.8 | 12.1 | -1.7
New York .......................| 8.3 | 9.1 | .8
North Carolina .................| 10.7 | 9.7 | -1.0
North Dakota ...................| 3.6 | 3.0 | -.6
Ohio ...........................| 8.8 | 7.2 | -1.6
Oklahoma .......................| 6.3 | 5.1 | -1.2
Texas ..........................| 8.1 | 7.1 | -1.0
Utah ...........................| 6.7 | 5.8 | -.9
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
p = preliminary.
Table C. States with statistically significant employment changes from
July 2012 to August 2012, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
| July | August | Over-the-month
State | 2012 | 2012(p) | change(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Connecticut...................| 1,631,600 | 1,624,800 | -6,800
Delaware......................| 417,100 | 415,100 | -2,000
District of Columbia..........| 738,600 | 727,400 | -11,200
Florida.......................| 7,325,100 | 7,348,300 | 23,200
Hawaii........................| 598,500 | 602,600 | 4,100
Idaho.........................| 612,700 | 616,600 | 3,900
Missouri......................| 2,639,800 | 2,657,700 | 17,900
New Mexico....................| 798,200 | 792,300 | -5,900
Oklahoma......................| 1,588,000 | 1,598,400 | 10,400
Oregon........................| 1,634,400 | 1,643,200 | 8,800
| | |
Texas.........................| 10,807,600 | 10,845,600 | 38,000
Vermont.......................| 305,600 | 303,200 | -2,400
Virginia......................| 3,723,800 | 3,711,400 | -12,400
Washington....................| 2,880,200 | 2,871,400 | -8,800
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
p = preliminary.
Table D. States with statistically significant employment changes from
August 2011 to August 2012, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
| August | August | Over-the-year
State | 2011 | 2012(p) | change(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arizona.......................| 2,407,400 | 2,462,000 | 54,600
California....................| 14,047,600 | 14,346,300 | 298,700
Colorado......................| 2,260,000 | 2,293,300 | 33,300
Florida.......................| 7,270,500 | 7,348,300 | 77,800
Georgia.......................| 3,887,200 | 3,937,700 | 50,500
Hawaii........................| 588,500 | 602,600 | 14,100
Idaho.........................| 606,800 | 616,600 | 9,800
Illinois......................| 5,659,400 | 5,698,500 | 39,100
Indiana.......................| 2,827,600 | 2,892,300 | 64,700
Kentucky......................| 1,792,700 | 1,831,200 | 38,500
| | |
Louisiana.....................| 1,904,500 | 1,946,700 | 42,200
Massachusetts.................| 3,203,000 | 3,243,200 | 40,200
Michigan......................| 3,944,100 | 3,989,700 | 45,600
Nebraska......................| 943,100 | 954,900 | 11,800
New Jersey....................| 3,858,200 | 3,909,600 | 51,400
New Mexico....................| 805,600 | 792,300 | -13,300
New York......................| 8,692,200 | 8,814,100 | 121,900
North Dakota..................| 395,800 | 422,500 | 26,700
Ohio..........................| 5,089,300 | 5,187,600 | 98,300
Oklahoma......................| 1,553,400 | 1,598,400 | 45,000
| | |
Oregon........................| 1,619,800 | 1,643,200 | 23,400
Tennessee.....................| 2,658,500 | 2,683,100 | 24,600
Texas.........................| 10,586,100 | 10,845,600 | 259,500
Utah..........................| 1,214,600 | 1,236,600 | 22,000
Virginia......................| 3,680,500 | 3,711,400 | 30,900
Washington....................| 2,828,100 | 2,871,400 | 43,300
Wyoming.......................| 286,300 | 292,100 | 5,800
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
p = preliminary.
