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Economic News Release
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State Employment and Unemployment Summary

For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Monday, March 11, 2024                                     USDL-24-0482

Technical information: 
 Employment:    (202) 691-6559  *  sminfo@bls.gov    *  www.bls.gov/sae   
 Unemployment:  (202) 691-6392  *  lausinfo@bls.gov  *  www.bls.gov/lau 

Media contact:  (202) 691-5902  *  PressOffice@bls.gov


                     STATE EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT -- JANUARY 2024


Unemployment rates were higher in January in 4 states, lower in 2 states, and stable in 44 states
and the District of Columbia, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Twenty-five
states had jobless rate increases from a year earlier, 6 states had decreases, and 19 states and
the District had little change. The national unemployment rate remained at 3.7 percent in January
2024 and was little changed from January 2023.

Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 8 states and was essentially unchanged in 42 states and
the District of Columbia in January 2024. Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased in
27 states and was essentially unchanged in 23 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. These data 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 two programs, see the Technical Note.

 ____________________________________________________________________________________________
|											     |
|                      Changes to Employment and Unemployment Data			     |
|											     |
| In accordance with standard practices, historical data in the tables of this news release  |
| have been revised. For detailed information on changes to the data, see the box notes at   |
| the end of the news release.								     |
|____________________________________________________________________________________________|


Unemployment

North Dakota had the lowest jobless rate in January, 1.9 percent. The next lowest rate was in
South Dakota, 2.1 percent. Nevada had the highest unemployment rate, 5.3 percent, closely followed
by California, 5.2 percent. In total, 16 states had unemployment rates lower than the U.S. figure
of 3.7 percent, 7 states and the District of Columbia had higher rates, and 27 states had rates
that were not appreciably different from that of the nation. (See tables A and 1.)

Four states had unemployment rate increases in January: Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Washington
(+0.2 percentage point each) and California (+0.1 point). Massachusetts and Wisconsin had the only
rate decreases (-0.2 percentage point each). Forty-four 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. (See table B.)

Twenty-five states had unemployment rate increases from January 2023, the largest of which were in
Maine and New Jersey (+0.9 percentage point each). Six states had over-the-year rate decreases, the
largest of which were in Massachusetts and Wyoming (-0.5 percentage point each). Nineteen states
and the District of Columbia had jobless rates that were not notably different from those of a year
earlier, though some had changes that were at least as large numerically as the significant changes.
(See table C.)

Nonfarm Payroll Employment

Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 8 states and was essentially unchanged in 42 states and the
District of Columbia in January 2024. The largest job gains occurred in New York (+59,300), California
(+58,100), and Florida (+38,800). The largest percentage increases occurred in New York and Vermont
(+0.6 percent each), followed by Massachusetts and New Jersey (+0.5 percent each). (See tables D and 3.)

Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 27 states and was essentially unchanged in 23
states and the District of Columbia. The largest job gains occurred in Texas (+263,900), Florida 
(+259,600), and California (+225,400). The largest percentage increase occurred in Nevada (+3.8 percent),
followed by Alaska and South Carolina (+3.0 percent each). (See table E.)

_____________
The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for January is scheduled to be
released on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). The State Employment and Unemployment
news release for February is scheduled to be released on Friday, March 22, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

 ____________________________________________________________________________________________
|                     									     |
|                     Changes to Local Area Unemployment Statistics Data		     |
|											     |
| Effective with the release of Regional and State Unemployment 2023 Annual Averages on	     |
| March 1, 2024, the civilian labor force and unemployment data for the states, the	     |
| District of Columbia, and the modeled substate areas presented in tables 1 and 2 of this   |
| news release were revised to incorporate updated inputs, new population controls,	     |
| reestimation of models, and adjustment to new census division and national control totals. |
| The population controls continue to reflect a "blended base," with elements from three     |
| independent data sources for April 1, 2020. Data in table 1 were re-seasonally adjusted    |
| as well. Both not seasonally adjusted and seasonally adjusted data were subject to	     |
| revision back to 2019. 								     |
|____________________________________________________________________________________________|

 ____________________________________________________________________________________________
|											     |
|                    Changes to Current Employment Statistics (CES) Data		     |
|											     |
| Effective with this news release, all nonfarm payroll employment estimates for states and  |
| areas presented in tables 3 and 4 have been adjusted to 2023 benchmark levels. Not 	     |
| seasonally adjusted data beginning with April 2022 and seasonally adjusted data beginning  |
| with January 2019 were subject to revision. Some not seasonally adjusted and seasonally    |
| adjusted series have been revised as far back as 1990. Information on annual benchmark     |
| processing is available at www.bls.gov/web/laus/benchmark.htm.			     |
|											     |
| Also effective with this news release, the CES program implemented a new weight smoothing  |
| procedure for state and metropolitan area employment data. Background information on the   |
| new weight smoothing procedure is available on the BLS website at			     |
| www.bls.gov/osmr/research-papers/2014/pdf/st140140.pdf.				     |
|____________________________________________________________________________________________|


Table A. States with unemployment rates significantly different
from that of the U.S., January 2024, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------
                State                |          Rate(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------
United States (1) ...................|           3.7
                                     |
Alabama .............................|           2.9
Alaska ..............................|           4.6
California ..........................|           5.2
District of Columbia ................|           5.0
Florida .............................|           3.1
Georgia .............................|           3.1
Illinois ............................|           4.7
Iowa ................................|           3.0
Kansas ..............................|           2.6
Maryland ............................|           2.3
                                     |
Massachusetts .......................|           3.0
Minnesota ...........................|           2.7
Nebraska ............................|           2.5
Nevada ..............................|           5.3
New Hampshire .......................|           2.6
New Jersey ..........................|           4.8
New York ............................|           4.5
North Dakota ........................|           1.9
South Dakota ........................|           2.1
Utah ................................|           2.8
                                     |
Vermont .............................|           2.3
Virginia ............................|           3.0
Washington ..........................|           4.6
Wyoming .............................|           2.8
--------------------------------------------------------------
   (1) Data are not preliminary.
   (p) = preliminary.


Table B. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from December 2023 to January 2024, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                |          Rate         |
                                |-----------|-----------| Over-the-month
             State              |  December |  January  |    change(p)
                                |    2023   |  2024(p)  |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
California .....................|     5.1   |     5.2   |       0.1
Connecticut ....................|     4.2   |     4.4   |        .2
Massachusetts ..................|     3.2   |     3.0   |       -.2
Rhode Island ...................|     3.4   |     3.6   |        .2
Washington .....................|     4.4   |     4.6   |        .2
Wisconsin ......................|     3.4   |     3.2   |       -.2
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
   (p) = preliminary.


Table C. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from January 2023 to January 2024, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                |          Rate         |
                                |-----------|-----------|  Over-the-year
             State              |  January  |  January  |    change(p)
                                |    2023   |  2024(p)  |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama ........................|     2.4   |     2.9   |       0.5
Alaska .........................|     3.9   |     4.6   |        .7
Arizona ........................|     3.7   |     4.2   |        .5
Arkansas .......................|     3.0   |     3.7   |        .7
California .....................|     4.5   |     5.2   |        .7
Colorado .......................|     3.0   |     3.4   |        .4
Connecticut ....................|     3.6   |     4.4   |        .8
Florida ........................|     2.8   |     3.1   |        .3
Idaho ..........................|     2.9   |     3.3   |        .4
Illinois .......................|     4.4   |     4.7   |        .3
                                |           |           |
Kansas .........................|     2.8   |     2.6   |       -.2
Louisiana ......................|     3.7   |     4.1   |        .4
Maine ..........................|     2.5   |     3.4   |        .9
Massachusetts ..................|     3.5   |     3.0   |       -.5
Mississippi ....................|     3.5   |     3.2   |       -.3
Missouri .......................|     2.8   |     3.3   |        .5
Montana ........................|     2.5   |     3.3   |        .8
Nebraska .......................|     2.1   |     2.5   |        .4
New Hampshire ..................|     2.0   |     2.6   |        .6
New Jersey .....................|     3.9   |     4.8   |        .9
                                |           |           |
New Mexico .....................|     3.6   |     4.0   |        .4
New York .......................|     4.1   |     4.5   |        .4
Oklahoma .......................|     3.1   |     3.5   |        .4
Pennsylvania ...................|     3.8   |     3.4   |       -.4
Rhode Island ...................|     2.9   |     3.6   |        .7
Texas ..........................|     4.1   |     3.9   |       -.2
Utah ...........................|     2.5   |     2.8   |        .3
Washington .....................|     4.1   |     4.6   |        .5
West Virginia ..................|     3.6   |     4.3   |        .7
Wisconsin ......................|     2.7   |     3.2   |        .5
Wyoming ........................|     3.3   |     2.8   |       -.5
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
   (p) = preliminary.


Table D. States with statistically significant employment changes from
December 2023 to January 2024, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              |             |             | Over-the-month change(p)
            State             |   December  |   January   |---------------------------
                              |     2023    |    2024(p)  |    Level    |   Percent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
California ...................|  17,948,900 |  18,007,000 |      58,100 |      0.3
Connecticut ..................|   1,695,800 |   1,703,200 |       7,400 |       .4
Florida ......................|   9,865,800 |   9,904,600 |      38,800 |       .4
Massachusetts ................|   3,721,100 |   3,739,400 |      18,300 |       .5
New Jersey ...................|   4,366,300 |   4,387,100 |      20,800 |       .5
New York .....................|   9,762,500 |   9,821,800 |      59,300 |       .6
South Carolina ...............|   2,336,600 |   2,345,800 |       9,200 |       .4
Vermont ......................|     309,600 |     311,600 |       2,000 |       .6
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   (p) = preliminary.


Table E. States with statistically significant employment changes from
January 2023 to January 2024, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              |             |             |  Over-the-year change(p)
            State             |   January   |   January   |---------------------------
                              |     2023    |    2024(p)  |    Level    |   Percent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama ......................|   2,148,900 |   2,185,300 |      36,400 |      1.7
Alaska .......................|     324,500 |     334,300 |       9,800 |      3.0
Arizona ......................|   3,162,200 |   3,239,600 |      77,400 |      2.4
California ...................|  17,781,600 |  18,007,000 |     225,400 |      1.3
Colorado .....................|   2,911,500 |   2,969,400 |      57,900 |      2.0
Florida ......................|   9,645,000 |   9,904,600 |     259,600 |      2.7
Georgia ......................|   4,884,800 |   4,936,000 |      51,200 |      1.0
Idaho ........................|     839,300 |     855,800 |      16,500 |      2.0
Indiana ......................|   3,217,400 |   3,270,100 |      52,700 |      1.6
Minnesota ....................|   2,966,000 |   3,003,200 |      37,200 |      1.3
                              |             |             |             |       
Missouri .....................|   2,957,700 |   2,999,800 |      42,100 |      1.4
Nebraska .....................|   1,040,400 |   1,058,400 |      18,000 |      1.7
Nevada .......................|   1,515,600 |   1,572,700 |      57,100 |      3.8
New Jersey ...................|   4,292,700 |   4,387,100 |      94,400 |      2.2
New Mexico ...................|     867,000 |     882,000 |      15,000 |      1.7
New York .....................|   9,661,100 |   9,821,800 |     160,700 |      1.7
North Carolina ...............|   4,902,000 |   4,977,200 |      75,200 |      1.5
Oklahoma .....................|   1,745,600 |   1,773,300 |      27,700 |      1.6
Pennsylvania .................|   6,059,800 |   6,129,900 |      70,100 |      1.2
Rhode Island .................|     501,400 |     511,300 |       9,900 |      2.0
                              |             |             |             |       
South Carolina ...............|   2,276,600 |   2,345,800 |      69,200 |      3.0
South Dakota .................|     457,500 |     467,600 |      10,100 |      2.2
Texas ........................|  13,789,500 |  14,053,400 |     263,900 |      1.9
Utah .........................|   1,705,200 |   1,740,800 |      35,600 |      2.1
Virginia .....................|   4,140,100 |   4,200,000 |      59,900 |      1.4
Washington ...................|   3,577,000 |   3,627,300 |      50,300 |      1.4
West Virginia ................|     706,200 |     721,700 |      15,500 |      2.2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   (p) = preliminary.



Last Modified Date: March 11, 2024