For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Friday, April 19, 2024 USDL-24-0701
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
STATE EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT -- MARCH 2024
Unemployment rates were lower in March in 6 states, higher in 1 state, and stable in 43 states
and the District of Columbia, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Twenty-nine
states had jobless rate increases from a year earlier, 1 state had a decrease, and 20 states
and the District had little change. The national unemployment rate changed little at 3.8
percent but was 0.3 percentage point higher than in March 2023.
Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 5 states and was essentially unchanged in 45 states
and the District of Columbia in March 2024. Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment
increased in 31 states and was essentially unchanged in 19 states and the District.
This news release presents statistics from two monthly programs. The civilian labor force and
unemployment data are modeled based largely on a survey of households. These data pertain to
individuals by where they reside. The employment data are from an establishment survey that
measures nonfarm employment, hours, and earnings by industry. These data pertain to jobs on
payrolls defined by where the establishments are located. For more information about the
concepts and statistical methodologies used by these two programs, see the Technical Note.
Unemployment
North Dakota had the lowest jobless rate in March, 2.0 percent, closely followed by South
Dakota, 2.1 percent, and Vermont, 2.2 percent. The rate in Mississippi, 3.0 percent, set a new
series low. (All state series begin in 1976.) California had the highest unemployment rate,
5.3 percent, closely followed by the District of Columbia, 5.2 percent. In total, 23 states
had unemployment rates lower than the U.S. figure of 3.8 percent, 5 states and the District
had higher rates, and 22 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the
nation. (See tables A and 1.)
In March, six states had over-the-month unemployment rate decreases, the largest of which was
in Arizona (-0.3 percentage point). Florida had the only rate increase (+0.1 percentage point).
Forty-three states and the District of Columbia had jobless rates that were not notably
different from those of a month earlier, though some had changes that were at least as large
numerically as the significant changes. (See table B.)
Twenty-nine states had unemployment rate increases from March 2023, the largest of which was
in Rhode Island (+1.3 percentage points). Massachusetts had the only over-the-year rate
decrease (-0.6 percentage point). Twenty states and the District of Columbia had jobless rates
that were not notably different from those of a year earlier. (See table C.)
Nonfarm Payroll Employment
Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 5 states and was essentially unchanged in 45 states
and the District of Columbia in March 2024. Job gains occurred in Virginia (+16,500, or +0.4
percent), Georgia (+16,200, or +0.3 percent), Kentucky (+9,400, or +0.5 percent), Arkansas
(+6,500, or +0.5 percent), and Kansas (+6,400, or +0.4 percent). (See tables D and 3.)
Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 31 states and was essentially unchanged
in 19 states and the District of Columbia. The largest job gains occurred in Texas (+270,700),
California (+217,700), and Florida (+211,100). The largest percentage increases occurred in
Idaho (+3.7 percent), Nevada (+3.4 percent), and Alaska (+3.2 percent). (See table E.)
_____________
The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for March is scheduled to be
released on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). The State Employment and Unemployment
news release for April is scheduled to be released on Friday, May 17, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).
Table A. States with unemployment rates significantly different
from that of the U.S., March 2024, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------
State | Rate(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------
United States (1) ...................| 3.8
|
Alabama .............................| 3.0
California ..........................| 5.3
District of Columbia ................| 5.2
Florida .............................| 3.2
Georgia .............................| 3.1
Hawaii ..............................| 3.1
Illinois ............................| 4.8
Iowa ................................| 2.9
Kansas ..............................| 2.7
Maryland ............................| 2.5
|
Massachusetts .......................| 2.9
Minnesota ...........................| 2.7
Mississippi .........................| 3.0
Montana .............................| 3.3
Nebraska ............................| 2.5
Nevada ..............................| 5.1
New Hampshire .......................| 2.6
New Jersey ..........................| 4.8
North Dakota ........................| 2.0
Pennsylvania ........................| 3.4
|
South Carolina ......................| 3.1
South Dakota ........................| 2.1
Tennessee ...........................| 3.2
Utah ................................| 2.8
Vermont .............................| 2.2
Virginia ............................| 2.9
Washington ..........................| 4.8
Wisconsin ...........................| 3.0
Wyoming .............................| 2.8
--------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Data are not preliminary.
(p) = preliminary.
Table B. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from February 2024 to March 2024, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rate |
|-----------|-----------| Over-the-month
State | February | March | change(p)
| 2024 | 2024(p) |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arizona ........................| 4.1 | 3.8 | -0.3
Florida ........................| 3.1 | 3.2 | .1
Maine ..........................| 3.4 | 3.3 | -.1
Montana ........................| 3.4 | 3.3 | -.1
New York .......................| 4.4 | 4.3 | -.1
Vermont ........................| 2.3 | 2.2 | -.1
Virginia .......................| 3.0 | 2.9 | -.1
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
Table C. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from March 2023 to March 2024, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rate |
|-----------|-----------| Over-the-year
State | March | March | change(p)
| 2023 | 2024(p) |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama ........................| 2.3 | 3.0 | 0.7
Alaska .........................| 3.8 | 4.6 | .8
Arkansas .......................| 2.8 | 3.5 | .7
California .....................| 4.5 | 5.3 | .8
Colorado .......................| 3.0 | 3.7 | .7
Connecticut ....................| 3.4 | 4.5 | 1.1
Florida ........................| 2.8 | 3.2 | .4
Idaho ..........................| 2.9 | 3.3 | .4
Illinois .......................| 4.2 | 4.8 | .6
Indiana ........................| 3.2 | 3.5 | .3
| | |
Kentucky .......................| 4.0 | 4.5 | .5
Louisiana ......................| 3.5 | 4.4 | .9
Maine ..........................| 2.4 | 3.3 | .9
Maryland .......................| 2.0 | 2.5 | .5
Massachusetts ..................| 3.5 | 2.9 | -.6
Missouri .......................| 2.8 | 3.3 | .5
Montana ........................| 2.5 | 3.3 | .8
Nebraska .......................| 2.0 | 2.5 | .5
New Hampshire ..................| 1.8 | 2.6 | .8
New Jersey .....................| 4.0 | 4.8 | .8
| | |
New York .......................| 4.0 | 4.3 | .3
Ohio ...........................| 3.5 | 3.8 | .3
Oklahoma .......................| 3.0 | 3.5 | .5
Oregon .........................| 3.5 | 4.2 | .7
Rhode Island ...................| 2.7 | 4.0 | 1.3
Utah ...........................| 2.5 | 2.8 | .3
Vermont ........................| 1.8 | 2.2 | .4
Washington .....................| 3.9 | 4.8 | .9
West Virginia ..................| 3.5 | 4.3 | .8
Wisconsin ......................| 2.6 | 3.0 | .4
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
Table D. States with statistically significant employment changes from
February 2024 to March 2024, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | | Over-the-month change(p)
State | February | March |---------------------------
| 2024 | 2024(p) | Level | Percent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arkansas .....................| 1,360,700 | 1,367,200 | 6,500 | 0.5
Georgia ......................| 4,933,300 | 4,949,500 | 16,200 | .3
Kansas .......................| 1,455,100 | 1,461,500 | 6,400 | .4
Kentucky .....................| 2,027,500 | 2,036,900 | 9,400 | .5
Virginia .....................| 4,211,800 | 4,228,300 | 16,500 | .4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
Table E. States with statistically significant employment changes from
March 2023 to March 2024, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | | Over-the-year change(p)
State | March | March |---------------------------
| 2023 | 2024(p) | Level | Percent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama ......................| 2,155,100 | 2,191,100 | 36,000 | 1.7
Alaska .......................| 325,200 | 335,500 | 10,300 | 3.2
Arizona ......................| 3,179,800 | 3,250,100 | 70,300 | 2.2
Arkansas .....................| 1,348,700 | 1,367,200 | 18,500 | 1.4
California ...................| 17,778,500 | 17,996,200 | 217,700 | 1.2
Colorado .....................| 2,922,100 | 2,983,300 | 61,200 | 2.1
Florida ......................| 9,688,000 | 9,899,100 | 211,100 | 2.2
Georgia ......................| 4,894,100 | 4,949,500 | 55,400 | 1.1
Idaho ........................| 835,500 | 866,300 | 30,800 | 3.7
Indiana ......................| 3,232,200 | 3,276,800 | 44,600 | 1.4
| | | |
Iowa .........................| 1,586,800 | 1,612,500 | 25,700 | 1.6
Kansas .......................| 1,439,700 | 1,461,500 | 21,800 | 1.5
Kentucky .....................| 2,011,900 | 2,036,900 | 25,000 | 1.2
Minnesota ....................| 2,976,600 | 3,022,100 | 45,500 | 1.5
Missouri .....................| 2,967,800 | 3,022,000 | 54,200 | 1.8
Montana ......................| 517,400 | 528,000 | 10,600 | 2.0
Nebraska .....................| 1,043,400 | 1,062,900 | 19,500 | 1.9
Nevada .......................| 1,524,800 | 1,576,000 | 51,200 | 3.4
New Jersey ...................| 4,302,400 | 4,386,600 | 84,200 | 2.0
New Mexico ...................| 869,500 | 885,200 | 15,700 | 1.8
| | | |
New York .....................| 9,680,700 | 9,825,100 | 144,400 | 1.5
North Carolina ...............| 4,920,700 | 4,978,000 | 57,300 | 1.2
Oklahoma .....................| 1,750,800 | 1,779,100 | 28,300 | 1.6
Pennsylvania .................| 6,070,700 | 6,148,900 | 78,200 | 1.3
South Carolina ...............| 2,293,200 | 2,358,400 | 65,200 | 2.8
South Dakota .................| 459,400 | 470,400 | 11,000 | 2.4
Texas ........................| 13,845,000 | 14,115,700 | 270,700 | 2.0
Utah .........................| 1,709,800 | 1,746,400 | 36,600 | 2.1
Virginia .....................| 4,154,400 | 4,228,300 | 73,900 | 1.8
Washington ...................| 3,582,900 | 3,637,400 | 54,500 | 1.5
West Virginia ................| 707,900 | 719,600 | 11,700 | 1.7
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
United States Department of Labor
