Regional And State Employment And Unemployment: December 2007

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REGIONAL AND STATE EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT: DECEMBER 2007

Regional and state unemployment rates were generally higher in December.
All 4 regions and 46 states and the District of Columbia recorded over-the-
month unemployment rate increases, while 2 states registered decreases and
2 states had no change in their rates, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of
the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Over the year, jobless rates
were up in 36 states, down in 12 states and the District of Columbia, and
unchanged in 2 states. The national unemployment rate rose to 5.0 percent
in December.

In December, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 33 states and
the District of Columbia, and decreased in 17 states. The largest employ-
ment increases were recorded in Texas (+18,600), California (+15,500),
Washington (+10,700), and Virginia (+10,200). Nebraska posted the largest
over-the-month percentage increase in employment (+0.7 percent), followed
by Hawaii (+0.5 percent), and Montana, Nevada, and Washington (+0.4 percent
each). The largest employment decreases occurred in Kansas (-6,200), South
Carolina (-5,800), Ohio (-3,900), and Indiana (-3,100). Kansas experienced
the largest over-the-month percentage decline in employment (-0.4 percent),
followed by South Carolina (-0.3 percent), and Alaska and Idaho (-0.2 per-
cent each). Over the year, nonfarm employment increased in 47 states and
the District of Columbia and decreased in 3 states. The largest over-the-
year percentage gains in employment were reported in Utah (+4.0 percent),
Montana and Wyoming (+3.4 percent each), Louisiana (+2.2 percent), and
Texas (+2.1 percent). Over-the-year percentage declines in employment
occurred in Michigan (-1.8 percent) and Ohio (-0.3 percent); Minnesota
had a decrease of less than -0.05 percent.

Regional Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)

In December, the Midwest continued to record the highest unemployment
rate among the regions, 5.5 percent. The Northeast and South reported the
lowest rates, 4.7 percent each. All four regions posted statistically sig-
nificant unemployment rate increases from November; the South recorded the
largest increase (+0.4 percentage point), followed by the Midwest, Northeast,
and West (+0.3 point each). Similarly, all four regions registered signifi-
cant over-the-year jobless rate increases, led by the West (+0.8 percentage
point), followed by the Midwest (+0.6 percentage point) and the Northeast
and South (+0.4 point each). (See table 1.)

Among the nine geographic divisions, the East North Central again reported
the highest jobless rate, 5.9 percent in December, followed closely by the
Pacific at 5.8 percent. The Mountain division continued to record the lowest
rate, 4.3 percent. Seven divisions posted statistically significant unemploy-
ment rate increases from November: the East South Central (+0.6 percentage
point); Mountain (+0.5 point); Middle Atlantic and Pacific (+0.4 point each);
and South Atlantic, West North Central, and West South Central (+0.3 point
each). Eight divisions registered significant unemployment rate increases
from December 2006: the Pacific (+1.0 percentage point); East North Central,
Middle Atlantic, and Mountain (+0.6 point each); South Atlantic (+0.5 point);
East South Central and West North Central (+0.4 point each); and West South
Central (+0.3 point). No division had a jobless rate decrease, either over
the month or over the year.


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State Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)

In December, Michigan continued to report the highest state unemployment
rate, 7.6 percent, followed by Mississippi at 6.8 percent, South Carolina
at 6.6 percent, and Alaska at 6.5 percent. Idaho and South Dakota posted
the lowest jobless rates, 3.0 percent each. Overall, 17 states registered
unemployment rates that were significantly below the U.S. rate of 5.0 per-
cent, 8 states and the District of Columbia recorded measurably higher
rates, and 25 states had rates that were statistically little different
from that of the nation. (See tables A and 3.)

Half of the states, plus the District of Columbia, reported statisti-
cally significant jobless rate increases between November and December.
Kentucky, Louisiana, and South Carolina registered the largest increases
(+0.7 percentage point each), followed by Arizona and Kansas (+0.6 point
each). Twenty-five states 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.
(See table B.)

Nevada reported the largest jobless rate increase from December 2006
(+1.5 percentage points). The states recording the next largest rate
increases were Florida and Illinois (+1.4 percentage points each),
California (+1.3 points), and Hawaii (+1.2 points). Seventeen addi-
tional states had smaller, but also statistically significant, rate
increases over the year. Four states registered significant over-the-
year unemployment rate decreases, the largest of which occurred in
Massachusetts (-0.7 percentage point). The remaining 24 states and the
District of Columbia recorded jobless rates in December 2007 that were
not appreciably different from those of a year earlier. (See table C.)


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Nonfarm Payroll Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)

From November to December, four states reported statistically sig-
nificant changes in employment, three of which were increases. The gains
were in Washington (+10,700), Nebraska (+7,000), and Hawaii (+3,100). The
statistically significant employment decline occurred in Kansas (-6,200).
(See tables D and 5.)

Over the year, 23 states posted statistically significant changes in
employment. All but one reported gains in employment. The largest em-
ployment gains occurred in Texas (+218,600), Florida (+85,800), and
California (+78,800). The only statistically significant over-the-year
decline was reported in Michigan (-77,500). Four states recorded sta-
tistically significant gains in employment that were less than 15,000:
Montana (+14,900), Nebraska (+14,100), Hawaii (+9,700), and Wyoming
(+9,600). (See table E.)

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The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment release for December
2007 is scheduled to be issued on Tuesday, January 29, 2008. The Regional
and State Employment and Unemployment release for January 2008 is scheduled
to be issued on Tuesday, March 11.