South Carolina Leads Way With Jobless Rate Drop of 0.5%

According to the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics), jobless rates dropped in 41 states and the District of Columbia in September. 6 states posted increases, while 3 had no change. Nonfarm payroll employment rose in 35 states last month, while 15 states saw nonfarm payroll employment fall.

The states with the largest increases in nonfarm payroll employment last month were:

Texas, +21,000
Pennsylvania, +17,800
District of Columbia, +14,200

The states with the largest decreases in nonfarm payroll employment last month were:

Michigan, -13,000
Ohio, -12,800
Oregon, -7,900

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Five states posted unemployment rate drops of at least 0.4% in September. They were:

South Carolina, -0.5%
California, -0.4%
Hawaii, -0.4%
Louisiana, -0.4%
Utah, -0.4%

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The states with the highest levels of unemployment, including Puerto Rico, in September were:

Puerto Rico with a rate of 13.6%
Nevada with a rate of 11.8%
Rhode Island with a rate of 10.5%
California with a rate of 10.2%
New Jersey with a rate of 9.8%

The states with the lowest unemployment rate levels in September were:

North Dakota with a rate of 3.0%
Nebraska with a rate of 3.9%
South Dakota with a rate of 4.4%
Iowa with a rate of 5.2%
Oklahoma with a rate of 5.2%

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The national unemployment rate fell to 7.8% in September. That number was steeped in controversy and led to many howls of outrage from the right, with many alleging that President Obama tampered with the numbers to help his re-election bid.

Source: BLS.gov

Source: Historical State Unemployment Rates

Filed under: General Knowledge