Today’s State and Regional Employment report for February, released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, showed that the majority of states continued to add jobs and experience falling unemployment rates.
From November to February, 46 states added jobs, with Maryland (1.2 percent), Idaho (1.1 percent), Montana (1.1 percent), Vermont (1.1 percent), and New Jersey (0.9 percent) making the largest percentage job gains. Over that same period, employment fell in the District of Columbia (-0.1 percent) and only 3 states: West Virginia (-0.8 percent), Alaska (-0.2 percent), and Hawaii (-0.2 percent). In North Dakota, the number of jobs was essentially unchanged.
From November to February, the unemployment rate fell in 34 states and the District of Columbia. Maine (-0.6 percent), Oregon (-0.6 percent), and West Virginia (-0.6 percent) saw the largest declines in unemployment. During that same time period, 11 states saw modest increases in unemployment rates. The largest increases in unemployment occurred in Massachusetts (0.3 percent), Connecticut (0.2 percent), Delaware (0.2 percent), Michigan (0.2 percent), and Tennessee (0.2 percent). Five states saw no change in their unemployment rates: Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, and Minnesota.
Unemployment rate by state, February 2017
| State | Percentage point change since December 2007 | Percentage point change last 3 months | Unemployment rate, February 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 1.8 | 0 | 6.2% |
| Alaska | 0 | -0.2 | 6.4% |
| Arizona | 0.7 | 0.1 | 5.1% |
| Arkansas | -1.5 | -0.3 | 3.7% |
| California | -1 | -0.3 | 5.0% |
| Colorado | -1.2 | -0.1 | 2.9% |
| Connecticut | -0.2 | 0.2 | 4.7% |
| Delaware | 0.8 | 0.2 | 4.5% |
| DC | 0 | -0.1 | 5.7% |
| Florida | 0.1 | 0.1 | 5.0% |
| Georgia | 0.2 | -0.2 | 5.3% |
| Hawaii | -0.4 | -0.1 | 2.8% |
| Idaho | 0.4 | -0.1 | 3.6% |
| Illinois | -0.1 | -0.4 | 5.4% |
| Indiana | -0.7 | 0 | 4.1% |
| Iowa | -0.5 | -0.3 | 3.2% |
| Kansas | -0.3 | -0.3 | 4.0% |
| Kentucky | -0.6 | 0 | 4.9% |
| Louisiana | 1.7 | -0.2 | 5.8% |
| Maine | -1.7 | -0.6 | 3.2% |
| Maryland | 0.8 | 0 | 4.2% |
| Massachusetts | -1.2 | 0.3 | 3.4% |
| Michigan | -2 | 0.2 | 5.3% |
| Minnesota | -0.7 | 0 | 4.0% |
| Mississippi | -0.7 | -0.4 | 5.2% |
| Missouri | -1.3 | -0.4 | 4.1% |
| Montana | -0.4 | -0.2 | 3.8% |
| Nebraska | 0.2 | -0.1 | 3.2% |
| Nevada | -0.2 | -0.3 | 4.9% |
| New Hampshire | -0.8 | -0.1 | 2.7% |
| New Jersey | -0.2 | -0.4 | 4.4% |
| New Mexico | 2.8 | 0.1 | 6.8% |
| New York | -0.5 | -0.5 | 4.4% |
| North Carolina | 0.1 | -0.1 | 5.1% |
| North Dakota | -0.2 | -0.1 | 2.9% |
| Ohio | -0.6 | 0.1 | 5.1% |
| Oklahoma | 1 | -0.3 | 4.6% |
| Oregon | -1.3 | -0.6 | 4.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 0.2 | -0.5 | 5.0% |
| Rhode Island | -1.6 | -0.5 | 4.5% |
| South Carolina | -1.3 | 0.1 | 4.4% |
| South Dakota | 0.1 | -0.1 | 2.8% |
| Tennessee | -0.2 | 0.2 | 5.3% |
| Texas | 0.6 | 0.1 | 4.9% |
| Utah | 0.1 | -0.1 | 3.1% |
| Vermont | -1.2 | -0.2 | 3.0% |
| Virginia | 0.4 | -0.2 | 3.9% |
| Washington | 0.1 | -0.3 | 4.9% |
| West Virginia | 0.5 | -0.6 | 5.2% |
| Wisconsin | -1.1 | -0.4 | 3.7% |
| Wyoming | 1.9 | -0.2 | 4.7% |
Note: The unemployment rate measures the share of jobless persons in the labor force (the sum of employment and unemployed persons) and not the entire population. Persons who are not actively looking for work are not included in this measure. All data are seasonally adjusted.
Source: EPI analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics' Local Area Unemployment Statistics data
Change in employment by state December 2007– February 2017
| State | Total employment, February 2017 | Percent change since December 2007 | Change since December 2007 | Percent change last 3 months | Change last 3 months | Percent change since December 2007 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 1,996,600 | -0.83% | -16,800 | 0.66% | 13,100 | -0.83% |
| Alaska | 329,300 | 3.23% | 10,300 | -0.18% | -600 | 3.23% |
| Arizona | 2,739,100 | 2.22% | 59,600 | 0.40% | 10,900 | 2.22% |
| Arkansas | 1,241,000 | 2.78% | 33,600 | 0.61% | 7500 | 2.78% |
| California | 16,676,100 | 7.74% | 1,198,300 | 0.26% | 43,000 | 7.74% |
| Colorado | 2,631,500 | 11.95% | 281,000 | 0.52% | 13,500 | 11.95% |
| Connecticut | 1,682,400 | -1.34% | -22,900 | 0.25% | 4,200 | -1.34% |
| Delaware | 455,200 | 3.29% | 14,500 | 0.31% | 1400 | 3.29% |
| DC | 785,200 | 12.16% | 85,100 | -0.09% | -700 | 12.16% |
| Florida | 8,543,000 | 7.71% | 611,200 | 0.73% | 61,600 | 7.71% |
| Georgia | 4,452,200 | 6.76% | 281,900 | 0.54% | 24,100 | 6.76% |
| Hawaii | 650,500 | 3.62% | 22,700 | -0.17% | -1100 | 3.62% |
| Idaho | 712,900 | 8.57% | 56,300 | 1.09% | 7,700 | 8.57% |
| Illinois | 6,055,000 | 1.17% | 69,800 | 0.59% | 35700 | 1.17% |
| Indiana | 3,113,800 | 4.03% | 120,500 | 0.18% | 5,500 | 4.03% |
| Iowa | 1,580,400 | 3.62% | 55,200 | 0.65% | 10,200 | 3.62% |
| Kansas | 1,411,200 | 1.76% | 24,400 | 0.18% | 2,500 | 1.76% |
| Kentucky | 1,936,200 | 4.21% | 78,200 | 0.46% | 8,800 | 4.21% |
| Louisiana | 1,982,400 | 2.45% | 47,400 | 0.83% | 16,400 | 2.45% |
| Maine | 620,200 | -0.08% | -500 | 0.50% | 3,100 | -0.08% |
| Maryland | 2,755,500 | 5.15% | 135,000 | 1.22% | 33,300 | 5.15% |
| Massachusetts | 3,603,600 | 8.58% | 284,800 | 0.56% | 20,200 | 8.58% |
| Michigan | 4,377,000 | 3.10% | 131,600 | 0.21% | 9,000 | 3.10% |
| Minnesota | 2,921,300 | 5.47% | 151,600 | 0.20% | 5,700 | 5.47% |
| Mississippi | 1,147,900 | -1.07% | -12,400 | 0.10% | 1,100 | -1.07% |
| Missouri | 2,880,500 | 2.79% | 78,200 | 0.57% | 16,300 | 2.79% |
| Montana | 477,300 | 6.92% | 30,900 | 1.10% | 5,200 | 6.92% |
| Nebraska | 1,024,700 | 5.90% | 57,100 | 0.28% | 2,900 | 5.90% |
| Nevada | 1,324,600 | 2.52% | 32,500 | 0.44% | 5,800 | 2.52% |
| New Hampshire | 677,500 | 4.28% | 27,800 | 0.47% | 3,200 | 4.28% |
| New Jersey | 4,130,200 | 1.08% | 44,100 | 0.86% | 35400 | 1.08% |
| New Mexico | 837,600 | -1.37% | -11,600 | 0.26% | 2200 | -1.37% |
| New York | 9,496,900 | 8.30% | 727,600 | 0.65% | 61,100 | 8.30% |
| North Carolina | 4,386,100 | 5.23% | 217,900 | 0.25% | 11,100 | 5.23% |
| North Dakota | 434,100 | 19.92% | 72,100 | -0.02% | -100 | 19.92% |
| Ohio | 5,522,000 | 1.92% | 103,900 | 0.38% | 20,800 | 1.92% |
| Oklahoma | 1,655,600 | 3.06% | 49,100 | 0.39% | 6400 | 3.06% |
| Oregon | 1,861,400 | 7.12% | 123,800 | 0.65% | 12,100 | 7.12% |
| Pennsylvania | 5,941,600 | 2.24% | 130,100 | 0.48% | 28,200 | 2.24% |
| Rhode Island | 495,200 | 1.52% | 7,400 | 0.61% | 3,000 | 1.52% |
| South Carolina | 2,074,300 | 6.41% | 125,000 | 0.27% | 5500 | 6.41% |
| South Dakota | 436,400 | 6.91% | 28,200 | 0.25% | 1,100 | 6.91% |
| Tennessee | 3,010,900 | 7.36% | 206,300 | 0.68% | 20,300 | 7.36% |
| Texas | 12,198,200 | 15.49% | 1,635,900 | 0.69% | 83,600 | 15.49% |
| Utah | 1,456,900 | 15.15% | 191,700 | 0.73% | 10,600 | 15.15% |
| Vermont | 315,900 | 2.40% | 7,400 | 1.06% | 3,300 | 2.40% |
| Virginia | 3,957,700 | 4.78% | 180,700 | 0.63% | 24,900 | 4.78% |
| Washington | 3,294,500 | 9.92% | 297,400 | 0.34% | 11,000 | 9.92% |
| West Virginia | 748,300 | -1.57% | -11,900 | -0.81% | -6,100 | -1.57% |
| Wisconsin | 2,950,800 | 2.54% | 73,200 | 0.58% | 17000 | 2.54% |
| Wyoming | 278,400 | -5.40% | -15,900 | 0.65% | 1800 | -5.40% |
Note: Total nonfarm employment is the total number of jobs, part-time or full-time, in non-farm establishments.
Source: EPI analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics' Current Establishment Survey data
