STATE EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT -- DECEMBER 2022
Unemployment rates were higher in December in 7 states, lower in 5 states, and stable in38 states and the District of Columbia, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Thirty-five states and the District had jobless rate decreases from a year earlier, 4 states had increases, and 11 states had little change. The national unemployment rate edged down to 3.5 percent over the month and was 0.4 percentage pointlower than in December 2021.
Nonfarm payroll employment decreased in 1 state and was essentially unchanged in 49 states and the District of Columbia in December 2022. Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 42 states and was essentially unchanged in 8 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. Thesedata 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 twoprograms, see the Technical Note.
Unemployment
Utah had the lowest jobless rate in December, 2.2 percent. The next lowest rates were in North Dakota and South Dakota, 2.3 percent each. The rates in Alaska (4.3 percent) and Pennsylvania (3.9 percent) set new series lows. (All state series begin in 1976.) Nevada had the highest unemployment rate, 5.2 percent. In total, 14 states had unemployment rates lower than the U.S. figure of 3.5 percent, 11 states and the Districthad higher rates, and 25 states had rates that were not appreciably different from thatof the nation.
In December, seven states had over-the-month unemployment rate increases, the largest of which was in Nevada (+0.3 percentage point). Five states had over-the-month decreases, the largest of which was in Maryland (-0.3 percentage point). Thirty-eight 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.
The largest jobless rate decrease from December 2021 was in New Mexico (-2.0 percentagepoints). The next largest decreases occurred in California and New Jersey (-1.7 percentage points each). The largest over-the-year unemployment rate increase occurredin Oklahoma (+0.6 percentage point).
Nonfarm Payroll Employment
Nonfarm payroll employment decreased in 1 state and was essentially unchanged in 49 states and the District of Columbia in December 2022. Employment decreased in West Virginia (-9,700, or -1.4 percent).
Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 42 states and was essentially unchanged in 8 states and the District of Columbia. The largest job increases occurredin Texas (+650,100), California (+621,400), and Florida (+440,000). The largest percentage increase occurred in Texas (+5.0 percent), followed by Florida (+4.8 percent) and Oregon (+4.2 percent).
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