Regional and State Unemployment, 2013 Annual Average Summary

For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Friday, February 28, 2014 USDL-14-0315

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REGIONAL AND STATE UNEMPLOYMENT -- 2013 ANNUAL AVERAGES

In 2013, annual average unemployment rates declined in 43 states and the

District of Columbia, rose in 2 states, and were unchanged in 5 states,

the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment-population

ratios decreased in 28 states, increased in 17 states and the District

of Columbia, and were unchanged in 5 states. The U.S. jobless rate

declined by 0.7 percentage point from the prior year to 7.4 percent,

and the national employment-population ratio was unchanged at 58.6

percent.

Regional Unemployment

All four regions experienced statistically significant unemployment rate

decreases from 2012, with the West having the largest decline (-1.2

percentage points). The West, at 8.0 percent, had the only jobless rate

significantly higher than that of the U.S. in 2013, while the South, at

7.0 percent, had the only rate significantly below the national figure.

(See table 1.)

Six of the 9 geographic divisions had statistically significant over-the-

year unemployment rate changes in 2013, all of which were decreases. The

largest of these occurred in the Pacific and South Atlantic (-1.4 percentage

points and -1.0 point, respectively). For the sixth year in a row, the

Pacific had the highest unemployment rate, 8.4 percent in 2013. Three

other divisions had rates significantly higher than the U.S. average.

The West North Central division again had the lowest jobless rate, 5.2

percent. Two other divisions, the West South Central and Mountain, at

6.3 percent and 7.0 percent, respectively, had rates significantly below

the national figure.

State Unemployment

In 2013, 25 states and the District of Columbia had statistically

significant unemployment rate decreases, the largest of which were in

Nevada (-1.7 percentage points), Florida (-1.6 points), and California

(-1.5 points). Six additional states had decreases greater than 1.0

percentage point. The remaining 25 states had annual average unemployment

rates for 2013 that were not appreciably different from those of the

previous year, though some had changes that were at least as large

numerically as the significant changes. (See table A.)

Nevada again had the highest unemployment rate (9.8 percent) in 2013,

followed by Rhode Island (9.5 percent) and Illinois (9.2 percent).

North Dakota had the lowest jobless rate among the states for the

fifth year in a row (2.9 percent), followed by South Dakota (3.8 percent)

and Nebraska (3.9 percent). Overall, 25 states had unemployment rates

that were significantly lower than the U.S. rate of 7.4 percent, while

11 states and the District of Columbia had rates significantly above

it. (See table B.)

Regional Employment-Population Ratios

In 2013, no region had a statistically significant change in its

employment-population ratio--the proportion of the civilian

noninstitutional population 16 years of age and over who are employed.

The Midwest continued to have the highest ratio, 60.5 percent, while

the South, at 57.8 percent, had the lowest, followed by the West, at

57.9 percent. The ratios in these three regions were significantly

different from the national figure of 58.6 percent. (See table 2.)

The East South Central was the only division with a statistically

significant change in its employment-population ratio in 2013 (-0.8

percentage point). The East South Central again had the lowest proportion

of employed persons, 54.4 percent. The next lowest ratios were in the

Pacific (57.4 percent), South Atlantic (57.7 percent), and Middle

Atlantic (58.0 percent). Ratios in all four of these divisions were

significantly below the national average. The division with the highest

employment-population ratio was the West North Central, at 64.8 percent,

followed by New England, at 60.9 percent. These two divisions, along

with the West South Central, at 59.6 percent, had employment-population

ratios measurably above that of the U.S.

State Employment-Population Ratios

In 2013, the largest employment-population ratio decrease among the

states occurred in Tennessee (-1.1 percentage points), followed by

Arkansas and North Dakota (-1.0 point each). Five other states also

had statistically significant decreases in their ratios. Utah had the

largest increase in its employment-population ratio among the states

(+1.4 percentage points). California and Florida had the only other

statistically significant increases in their ratios over the year

(+0.5 percentage point each). (See table C.)

West Virginia again had the lowest employment-population ratio among

the states, 50.1 percent in 2013. West Virginia has had the lowest

employment-population ratio each year since the series began in 1976.

Four states in the West North Central division again had the highest

ratios: North Dakota (69.4 percent), Nebraska (69.2 percent), South

Dakota (67.2 percent), and Minnesota (66.8 percent). Overall, 22 states

and the District of Columbia had employment-population ratios that were

significantly above the U.S. ratio of 58.6 percent, and 18 states had

ratios that were appreciably below it. Three states had the lowest

employment-population ratios in their series in 2013: Delaware, 56.7

percent; Nevada, 57.2 percent; and Oregon, 56.7 percent. (See table D.)

_____________

The Regional and State Employment and Unemployment news release for

January 2014 is scheduled to be released on Monday, March 17, 2014,

at 10:00 a.m. (EDT). The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment

news release for January 2014 is scheduled to be released on Friday,

March 21, 2014, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).

Table A. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes,

2012–13 annual averages

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| Rate |

|-------------------------| Over-the-year

State | | | rate change

| 2012 | 2013 |

--------------------------------|------------|------------|---------------

California .....................| 10.4 | 8.9 | -1.5

Colorado .......................| 7.8 | 6.8 | -1.0

District of Columbia ...........| 9.1 | 8.3 | -.8

Florida ........................| 8.8 | 7.2 | -1.6

Georgia ........................| 9.0 | 8.2 | -.8

Hawaii .........................| 5.7 | 4.8 | -.9

Idaho ..........................| 7.3 | 6.2 | -1.1

Indiana ........................| 8.1 | 7.5 | -.6

Iowa ...........................| 5.2 | 4.6 | -.6

Maine ..........................| 7.2 | 6.7 | -.5

| | |

Minnesota ......................| 5.6 | 5.1 | -.5

Nevada .........................| 11.5 | 9.8 | -1.7

New Jersey .....................| 9.3 | 8.2 | -1.1

New York .......................| 8.5 | 7.7 | -.8

North Carolina .................| 9.2 | 8.0 | -1.2

Oregon .........................| 8.8 | 7.7 | -1.1

Pennsylvania ...................| 7.9 | 7.4 | -.5

Rhode Island ...................| 10.3 | 9.5 | -.8

South Carolina .................| 9.0 | 7.6 | -1.4

South Dakota ...................| 4.2 | 3.8 | -.4

| | |

Texas ..........................| 6.8 | 6.3 | -.5

Utah ...........................| 5.4 | 4.4 | -1.0

Vermont ........................| 4.9 | 4.4 | -.5

Washington .....................| 8.1 | 7.0 | -1.1

West Virginia ..................| 7.2 | 6.5 | -.7

Wyoming ........................| 5.4 | 4.6 | -.8

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Table B. States with unemployment rates significantly differ-

ent from that of the U.S., 2013 annual averages

--------------------------------------------------------------

State | Rate

--------------------------------------------------------------

United States .......................| 7.4

Alaska ..............................| 6.5

California ..........................| 8.9

Colorado ............................| 6.8

Delaware ............................| 6.7

District of Columbia ................| 8.3

Georgia .............................| 8.2

Hawaii ..............................| 4.8

Idaho ...............................| 6.2

Illinois ............................| 9.2

Iowa ................................| 4.6

Kansas ..............................| 5.4

Kentucky ............................| 8.3

Louisiana ...........................| 6.2

Maine ...............................| 6.7

Maryland ............................| 6.6

Michigan ............................| 8.8

Minnesota ...........................| 5.1

Mississippi .........................| 8.6

Missouri ............................| 6.5

Montana .............................| 5.6

Nebraska ............................| 3.9

Nevada ..............................| 9.8

New Hampshire .......................| 5.3

New Jersey ..........................| 8.2

North Carolina ......................| 8.0

North Dakota ........................| 2.9

Oklahoma ............................| 5.4

Rhode Island ........................| 9.5

South Dakota ........................| 3.8

Tennessee ...........................| 8.2

Texas ...............................| 6.3

Utah ................................| 4.4

Vermont .............................| 4.4

Virginia ............................| 5.5

West Virginia .......................| 6.5

Wisconsin ...........................| 6.7

Wyoming .............................| 4.6

--------------------------------------------------------------

Table C. States with statistically significant employment-population

ratio changes, 2012–13 annual averages

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

| Ratio |

|-------------------------| Over-the-year

State | | | ratio change

| 2012 | 2013 |

--------------------------------|------------|------------|---------------

Arizona ........................| 55.5 | 54.6 | -0.9

Arkansas .......................| 54.9 | 53.9 | -1.0

California .....................| 56.5 | 57.0 | .5

Connecticut ....................| 60.9 | 60.1 | -.8

Florida ........................| 55.3 | 55.8 | .5

Massachusetts ..................| 60.6 | 60.1 | -.5

Mississippi ....................| 52.9 | 52.0 | -.9

North Dakota ...................| 70.4 | 69.4 | -1.0

Oregon .........................| 57.3 | 56.7 | -.6

Tennessee ......................| 56.7 | 55.6 | -1.1

Utah ...........................| 64.2 | 65.6 | 1.4

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Table D. States with employment-population ratios significantly

different from that of the U.S., 2013 annual averages

----------------------------------------------------------------

State | Ratio

----------------------------------------------------------------

United States .......................| 58.6

Alabama .............................| 53.1

Alaska ..............................| 63.4

Arizona .............................| 54.6

Arkansas ............................| 53.9

California ..........................| 57.0

Colorado ............................| 63.2

Connecticut .........................| 60.1

Delaware ............................| 56.7

District of Columbia ................| 63.5

Florida .............................| 55.8

Idaho ...............................| 60.1

Iowa ................................| 66.3

Kansas ..............................| 64.3

Kentucky ............................| 55.7

Louisiana ...........................| 55.9

Maine ...............................| 60.9

Maryland ............................| 63.0

Massachusetts .......................| 60.1

Michigan ............................| 55.0

Minnesota ...........................| 66.8

Mississippi .........................| 52.0

Missouri ............................| 60.1

Montana .............................| 60.5

Nebraska ............................| 69.2

Nevada ..............................| 57.2

New Hampshire .......................| 65.6

New Mexico ..........................| 54.1

New York ............................| 56.8

North Carolina ......................| 56.9

North Dakota ........................| 69.4

Oregon ..............................| 56.7

South Carolina ......................| 54.4

South Dakota ........................| 67.2

Tennessee ...........................| 55.6

Texas ...............................| 61.1

Utah ................................| 65.6

Vermont .............................| 65.5

Virginia ............................| 62.7

West Virginia .......................| 50.1

Wisconsin ...........................| 63.6

Wyoming .............................| 64.9

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Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

LaborLinks - Philadelphia - Construction Industry & Labor News

Friday, February 28, 2014

Regional and State Unemployment, 2013 Annual Average Summary

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