December 22, 2023
State Employment and Unemployment
November 2023
Unemployment rates were higher in November in 12 states and stable in 38 states and the District of Columbia, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Twenty states had jobless rate decreases from a year earlier, 15 states and the District had increases, and 15 states had little change. The national unemployment rate edged down to 3.7 percent over the month and was little changed from November 2022.
Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 3 states and was essentially unchanged in 47 states and the District of Columbia in November 2023. Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 28 states and was essentially unchanged in 22 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.
Unemployment
Maryland had the lowest jobless rate in November, 1.8 percent. The next lowest rate was in North Dakota, 1.9 percent. Nevada had the highest unemployment rate, 5.4 percent. In total, 19 states had unemployment rates lower than the U.S. figure of 3.7 percent, 5 states and the District of Columbia had higher rates, and 26 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation. (See tables A and 1.)
In November, 12 states had over-the-month unemployment rate increases, none of which were greater than 0.2 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. (See table B.)
Twenty states had over-the-year unemployment rate decreases, the largest of which was in Maryland (-1.3 percentage points). Fifteen states and the District of Columbia had rate increases from November 2022, the largest of which was in New Jersey (+1.4 percentage points). Fifteen states 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 3 states and was essentially unchanged in 47 states and the District of Columbia in November 2023. Job gains occurred in Florida (+30,900, or +0.3 percent), Alabama (+12,800, or +0.6 percent), and Maine (+3,800, or +0.6 percent). (See tables D and 3.)
Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 28 states and was essentially unchanged in 22 states and the District of Columbia. The largest job gains occurred in Texas (+407,100), California (+268,900), and Florida (+266,300). The largest percentage increases occurred in Nevada (+3.5 percent), Idaho (+3.1 percent), and Texas (+3.0 percent). (See table E.)
Table A. States with unemployment rates significantly different from that of the U.S., November 2023, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------
State | Rate(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------
United States (1) ...................| 3.7
|
Alabama .............................| 2.4
California ..........................| 4.9
District of Columbia ................| 5.0
Florida .............................| 2.9
Hawaii ..............................| 2.9
Illinois ............................| 4.7
Kansas ..............................| 2.9
Maine ...............................| 3.0
Maryland ............................| 1.8
Massachusetts .......................| 2.9
|
Minnesota ...........................| 3.1
Montana .............................| 3.0
Nebraska ............................| 2.3
Nevada ..............................| 5.4
New Hampshire .......................| 2.3
New Jersey ..........................| 4.7
New York ............................| 4.3
North Dakota ........................| 1.9
Rhode Island ........................| 2.9
South Carolina ......................| 3.0
|
South Dakota ........................| 2.0
Utah ................................| 2.8
Vermont .............................| 2.1
Virginia ............................| 2.9
Wyoming .............................| 3.0
--------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Data are not preliminary.
(p) = preliminary.
Table B. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes from October 2023 to November 2023, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rate |
|-----------|-----------| Over-the-month
State | October | November | change(p)
| 2023 | 2023(p) |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama ........................| 2.3 | 2.4 | 0.1
Arkansas .......................| 3.1 | 3.3 | .2
California .....................| 4.8 | 4.9 | .1
Maine ..........................| 2.8 | 3.0 | .2
Massachusetts ..................| 2.8 | 2.9 | .1
Montana ........................| 2.8 | 3.0 | .2
New Hampshire ..................| 2.1 | 2.3 | .2
Oklahoma .......................| 3.2 | 3.3 | .1
Tennessee ......................| 3.3 | 3.5 | .2
Vermont ........................| 2.0 | 2.1 | .1
Virginia .......................| 2.7 | 2.9 | .2
Washington .....................| 3.8 | 4.0 | .2
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
Table C. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes from November 2022 to November 2023, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rate |
|-----------|-----------| Over-the-year
State | November | November | change(p)
| 2022 | 2023(p) |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama ........................| 2.6 | 2.4 | -0.2
Alaska .........................| 3.7 | 4.4 | .7
California .....................| 4.1 | 4.9 | .8
Colorado .......................| 2.8 | 3.3 | .5
Connecticut ....................| 4.0 | 3.6 | -.4
Delaware .......................| 4.7 | 4.2 | -.5
District of Columbia ...........| 4.2 | 5.0 | .8
Florida ........................| 2.7 | 2.9 | .2
Georgia ........................| 3.1 | 3.4 | .3
Hawaii .........................| 3.7 | 2.9 | -.8
| | |
Idaho ..........................| 2.8 | 3.3 | .5
Indiana ........................| 3.2 | 3.7 | .5
Iowa ...........................| 3.1 | 3.3 | .2
Maryland .......................| 3.1 | 1.8 | -1.3
Massachusetts ..................| 3.7 | 2.9 | -.8
Mississippi ....................| 4.1 | 3.3 | -.8
Missouri .......................| 2.7 | 3.2 | .5
Montana ........................| 2.7 | 3.0 | .3
Nebraska .......................| 2.7 | 2.3 | -.4
New Hampshire ..................| 2.9 | 2.3 | -.6
| | |
New Jersey .....................| 3.3 | 4.7 | 1.4
New Mexico .....................| 3.5 | 3.9 | .4
North Carolina .................| 3.9 | 3.5 | -.4
North Dakota ...................| 2.1 | 1.9 | -.2
Ohio ...........................| 4.1 | 3.6 | -.5
Oregon .........................| 4.8 | 3.6 | -1.2
Pennsylvania ...................| 4.4 | 3.4 | -1.0
Rhode Island ...................| 3.3 | 2.9 | -.4
South Carolina .................| 3.3 | 3.0 | -.3
Texas ..........................| 3.8 | 4.1 | .3
| | |
Utah ...........................| 2.4 | 2.8 | .4
Vermont ........................| 3.1 | 2.1 | -1.0
Virginia .......................| 3.2 | 2.9 | -.3
Washington .....................| 4.6 | 4.0 | -.6
Wisconsin ......................| 3.0 | 3.3 | .3
Wyoming ........................| 3.9 | 3.0 | -.9
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
Table D. States with statistically significant employment changes from October 2023 to November 2023, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | | Over-the-month change(p)
State | October | November |---------------------------
| 2023 | 2023(p) | Level | Percent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama ......................| 2,156,600 | 2,169,400 | 12,800 | 0.6
Florida ......................| 9,817,100 | 9,848,000 | 30,900 | .3
Maine ........................| 651,300 | 655,100 | 3,800 | .6
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
Table E. States with statistically significant employment changes from November 2022 to November 2023, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | | Over-the-year change(p)
State | November | November |---------------------------
| 2022 | 2023(p) | Level | Percent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama ......................| 2,130,600 | 2,169,400 | 38,800 | 1.8
Arizona ......................| 3,123,900 | 3,178,700 | 54,800 | 1.8
California ...................| 17,889,600 | 18,158,500 | 268,900 | 1.5
Connecticut ..................| 1,674,600 | 1,698,900 | 24,300 | 1.5
Florida ......................| 9,581,700 | 9,848,000 | 266,300 | 2.8
Georgia ......................| 4,848,700 | 4,952,400 | 103,700 | 2.1
Idaho ........................| 835,900 | 862,000 | 26,100 | 3.1
Indiana ......................| 3,228,700 | 3,283,300 | 54,600 | 1.7
Kentucky .....................| 1,976,200 | 2,028,100 | 51,900 | 2.6
Louisiana ....................| 1,934,400 | 1,968,400 | 34,000 | 1.8
| | | |
Maryland .....................| 2,718,100 | 2,757,300 | 39,200 | 1.4
Massachusetts ................| 3,720,100 | 3,786,200 | 66,100 | 1.8
Minnesota ....................| 2,966,200 | 3,011,600 | 45,400 | 1.5
Missouri .....................| 2,957,100 | 2,997,800 | 40,700 | 1.4
Nevada .......................| 1,524,500 | 1,577,800 | 53,300 | 3.5
New Jersey ...................| 4,291,700 | 4,354,400 | 62,700 | 1.5
New Mexico ...................| 855,500 | 874,600 | 19,100 | 2.2
New York .....................| 9,627,500 | 9,727,700 | 100,200 | 1.0
North Carolina ...............| 4,845,500 | 4,949,300 | 103,800 | 2.1
Ohio .........................| 5,553,700 | 5,653,300 | 99,600 | 1.8
| | | |
Pennsylvania .................| 6,052,900 | 6,178,700 | 125,800 | 2.1
South Carolina ...............| 2,262,300 | 2,322,900 | 60,600 | 2.7
South Dakota .................| 457,400 | 468,800 | 11,400 | 2.5
Texas ........................| 13,687,800 | 14,094,900 | 407,100 | 3.0
Utah .........................| 1,695,400 | 1,730,800 | 35,400 | 2.1
Virginia .....................| 4,108,300 | 4,172,400 | 64,100 | 1.6
Washington ...................| 3,577,800 | 3,643,000 | 65,200 | 1.8
Wyoming ......................| 287,500 | 295,900 | 8,400 | 2.9
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
About BLS
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is an agency of the United States Department of Labor. It is the principal fact-finding agency in the broad field of labor economics and statistics and serves as part of the U.S. Federal Statistical System. BLS collects, calculates, analyzes, and publishes data essential to the public, employers, researchers, and government organizations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics measures labor market activity, working conditions, price changes, and productivity in the U.S. economy to support public and private decision making.
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