REGIONAL AND STATE EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT -- JULY 2014

Regional and state unemployment rates were generally little changed in July. Thirty states had unemployment rate increases from June, 8 states had decreases, and 12 states and the District of Columbia had no change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Forty-nine states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier and one state had an increase. The national jobless rate was little changed from June at 6.2 percent but was 1.1 percentage points lower than in July 2013.

In July 2014, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 36 states and the District of Columbia, decreased in 13 states, and was unchanged in Iowa. The largest over-the-month increases in employment occurred in Texas (+46,600), California (+27,700), and Michigan (+17,900). The largest over-the-month decrease in employment occurred in Ohio (-12,400), followed by Maryland (-9,000) and South Carolina (-4,600). The largest over-the-month percentage increase in employment occurred in Montana (+0.7 percent), followed by Arizona, Kentucky, Missouri, New Mexico, and Utah (+0.5 percent each). The largest over- the-month percentage decline in employment occurred in West Virginia (-0.4 percent), followed by Maryland (-0.3 percent) and Ohio and South Carolina (-0.2 percent each).

Over the year, nonfarm employment increased in 49 states and the District of Columbia and decreased in Alaska (-0.7 percent). The largest over-the-year percentage increase occurred in North Dakota (+4.4 percent), followed by Nevada (+3.8 percent) and Utah (+3.6 percent).

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics