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For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Friday, May 17, 2024 USDL-24-0947 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 -- APRIL 2024 Unemployment rates were lower in April in 5 states, higher in 2 states, and stable in 43 states and the District of Columbia, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Thirty states had jobless rate increases from a year earlier, 1 state had a decrease, and 19 states and the District had little change. The national unemployment rate changed little at 3.9 percent but was 0.5 percentage point higher than in April 2023. Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 6 states and was essentially unchanged in 44 states and the District of Columbia in April 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 and South Dakota had the lowest jobless rates in April, 2.0 percent each. The next lowest rate was in Vermont, 2.1 percent. The rate in Mississippi, 2.8 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, and Nevada, 5.1 percent. In total, 24 states had unemployment rates lower than the U.S. figure of 3.9 percent, 5 states and the District had higher rates, and 21 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation. (See tables A and 1.) Five states had unemployment rate decreases in April: Arizona, Maine, Mississippi, and Montana (-0.2 percentage point each) and Virginia (-0.1 point). Florida and Maryland had the only rate increases (+0.1 percentage point each). 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.) Thirty states had unemployment rate increases from April 2023, the largest of which was in Rhode Island (+1.4 percentage points). Massachusetts had the only over-the-year rate decrease (-0.3 percentage point). Nineteen states and the District of Columbia had jobless rates that were not notably different from those of a year earlier, though some had changes that were at least as large numerically as the significant changes. (See table C.) Nonfarm Payroll Employment Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 6 states and was essentially unchanged in 44 states and the District of Columbia in April 2024. The largest job gains occurred in Florida (+45,300), Texas (+42,600), and Missouri (+16,700). The largest percentage increases occurred in Missouri (+0.6 percent), Florida (+0.5 percent), and Alabama (+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 (+306,000), Florida (+240,500), and California (+206,500). The largest percentage increases occurred in Nevada and South Carolina (+3.4 percent each), followed by Alaska (+3.0 percent). (See table E.) _____________ The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for April is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). The State Employment and Unemployment news release for May is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). Table A. States with unemployment rates significantly different from that of the U.S., April 2024, seasonally adjusted -------------------------------------------------------------- State | Rate(p) -------------------------------------------------------------- United States (1) ...................| 3.9 | Alabama .............................| 3.1 California ..........................| 5.3 District of Columbia ................| 5.2 Florida .............................| 3.3 Georgia .............................| 3.1 Hawaii ..............................| 3.1 Idaho ...............................| 3.3 Illinois ............................| 4.8 Iowa ................................| 2.8 Kansas ..............................| 2.8 | Maine ...............................| 3.1 Maryland ............................| 2.6 Massachusetts .......................| 2.9 Minnesota ...........................| 2.7 Mississippi .........................| 2.8 Montana .............................| 3.1 Nebraska ............................| 2.5 Nevada ..............................| 5.1 New Hampshire .......................| 2.6 New Jersey ..........................| 4.7 | North Dakota ........................| 2.0 Pennsylvania ........................| 3.4 South Dakota ........................| 2.0 Tennessee ...........................| 3.1 Utah ................................| 2.8 Vermont .............................| 2.1 Virginia ............................| 2.8 Washington ..........................| 4.8 Wisconsin ...........................| 2.9 Wyoming .............................| 2.8 -------------------------------------------------------------- (1) Data are not preliminary. (p) = preliminary. Table B. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes from March 2024 to April 2024, seasonally adjusted ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Rate | |-----------|-----------| Over-the-month State | March | April | change(p) | 2024 | 2024(p) | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arizona ........................| 3.8 | 3.6 | -0.2 Florida ........................| 3.2 | 3.3 | .1 Maine ..........................| 3.3 | 3.1 | -.2 Maryland .......................| 2.5 | 2.6 | .1 Mississippi ....................| 3.0 | 2.8 | -.2 Montana ........................| 3.3 | 3.1 | -.2 Virginia .......................| 2.9 | 2.8 | -.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- (p) = preliminary. Table C. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes from April 2023 to April 2024, seasonally adjusted ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Rate | |-----------|-----------| Over-the-year State | April | April | change(p) | 2023 | 2024(p) | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alabama ........................| 2.3 | 3.1 | 0.8 Alaska .........................| 3.9 | 4.6 | .7 Arkansas .......................| 2.8 | 3.4 | .6 California .....................| 4.5 | 5.3 | .8 Colorado .......................| 3.0 | 3.7 | .7 Connecticut ....................| 3.3 | 4.4 | 1.1 Florida ........................| 2.7 | 3.3 | .6 Idaho ..........................| 2.9 | 3.3 | .4 Illinois .......................| 4.2 | 4.8 | .6 Indiana ........................| 3.2 | 3.6 | .4 | | | Kentucky .......................| 4.0 | 4.6 | .6 Louisiana ......................| 3.4 | 4.3 | .9 Maine ..........................| 2.4 | 3.1 | .7 Maryland .......................| 1.9 | 2.6 | .7 Massachusetts ..................| 3.2 | 2.9 | -.3 Missouri .......................| 2.9 | 3.4 | .5 Montana ........................| 2.6 | 3.1 | .5 Nebraska .......................| 2.0 | 2.5 | .5 New Hampshire ..................| 1.8 | 2.6 | .8 New Jersey .....................| 4.1 | 4.7 | .6 | | | New York .......................| 3.9 | 4.2 | .3 North Carolina .................| 3.3 | 3.5 | .2 Ohio ...........................| 3.4 | 4.0 | .6 Oklahoma .......................| 2.9 | 3.5 | .6 Oregon .........................| 3.4 | 4.2 | .8 Rhode Island ...................| 2.7 | 4.1 | 1.4 South Carolina .................| 2.9 | 3.2 | .3 Utah ...........................| 2.5 | 2.8 | .3 Vermont ........................| 1.7 | 2.1 | .4 Washington .....................| 3.8 | 4.8 | 1.0 West Virginia ..................| 3.5 | 4.3 | .8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- (p) = preliminary. Table D. States with statistically significant employment changes from March 2024 to April 2024, seasonally adjusted -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | Over-the-month change(p) State | March | April |--------------------------- | 2024 | 2024(p) | Level | Percent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alabama ......................| 2,193,500 | 2,202,600 | 9,100 | 0.4 Florida ......................| 9,904,300 | 9,949,600 | 45,300 | .5 Georgia ......................| 4,951,900 | 4,967,400 | 15,500 | .3 Michigan .....................| 4,479,300 | 4,494,100 | 14,800 | .3 Missouri .....................| 3,025,900 | 3,042,600 | 16,700 | .6 Texas ........................| 14,116,400 | 14,159,000 | 42,600 | .3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (p) = preliminary. Table E. States with statistically significant employment changes from April 2023 to April 2024, seasonally adjusted -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | Over-the-year change(p) State | April | April |--------------------------- | 2023 | 2024(p) | Level | Percent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alabama ......................| 2,156,100 | 2,202,600 | 46,500 | 2.2 Alaska .......................| 325,600 | 335,500 | 9,900 | 3.0 Arizona ......................| 3,187,500 | 3,260,600 | 73,100 | 2.3 Arkansas .....................| 1,348,500 | 1,372,100 | 23,600 | 1.8 California ...................| 17,784,800 | 17,991,300 | 206,500 | 1.2 Colorado .....................| 2,929,300 | 2,981,100 | 51,800 | 1.8 Connecticut ..................| 1,684,200 | 1,705,800 | 21,600 | 1.3 Florida ......................| 9,709,100 | 9,949,600 | 240,500 | 2.5 Georgia ......................| 4,897,500 | 4,967,400 | 69,900 | 1.4 Idaho ........................| 844,300 | 863,600 | 19,300 | 2.3 | | | | Indiana ......................| 3,230,700 | 3,276,600 | 45,900 | 1.4 Iowa .........................| 1,587,900 | 1,610,800 | 22,900 | 1.4 Kansas .......................| 1,440,000 | 1,463,000 | 23,000 | 1.6 Maine ........................| 645,100 | 656,200 | 11,100 | 1.7 Minnesota ....................| 2,975,600 | 3,023,900 | 48,300 | 1.6 Missouri .....................| 2,967,700 | 3,042,600 | 74,900 | 2.5 Montana ......................| 518,600 | 528,700 | 10,100 | 1.9 Nebraska .....................| 1,046,400 | 1,063,300 | 16,900 | 1.6 Nevada .......................| 1,528,800 | 1,581,400 | 52,600 | 3.4 New Jersey ...................| 4,298,400 | 4,374,400 | 76,000 | 1.8 | | | | New York .....................| 9,678,600 | 9,829,700 | 151,100 | 1.6 North Carolina ...............| 4,926,500 | 4,987,900 | 61,400 | 1.2 Oklahoma .....................| 1,751,000 | 1,781,500 | 30,500 | 1.7 Pennsylvania .................| 6,068,500 | 6,149,500 | 81,000 | 1.3 Rhode Island .................| 500,800 | 513,600 | 12,800 | 2.6 South Carolina ...............| 2,290,800 | 2,368,100 | 77,300 | 3.4 Texas ........................| 13,853,000 | 14,159,000 | 306,000 | 2.2 Utah .........................| 1,713,100 | 1,752,500 | 39,400 | 2.3 Virginia .....................| 4,156,600 | 4,233,400 | 76,800 | 1.8 Washington ...................| 3,595,600 | 3,645,700 | 50,100 | 1.4 West Virginia ................| 708,200 | 719,600 | 11,400 | 1.6 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (p) = preliminary.