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Montana job scene remains stagnant
July 12, 2011
Regional and state unemployment rates were little changed in May 2011. Twenty-four
states recorded unemployment rate decreases, 13 states and the District of Columbia
registered rate increases, and 13 states had no rate change, the U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics reported.
The West reported the highest regional unemployment rate in May, 10.3 percent,
while the Northeast and Midwest recorded the lowest rates, 8.0 and 8.1 percent,
respectively. The West was the only region to experience a statistically significant
over-the-month rate change (-0.1 percentage point). All four regions registered
significant rate decreases from a year earlier: the Midwest (-1.5 percentage points),
Northeast (-0.8 point), West (-0.7 point), and South (-0.5 point). (See table 1.)
Montana's unemployment rate remains at 7.3 percent.
Forty-three states and the District of Columbia
posted unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier, four states reported
increases, and three states had no change. The national jobless rate was essentially
unchanged at 9.1 percent, but was 0.5 percentage point lower than a year earlier.
In May, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 22 states, decreased in 27 states
and the District of Columbia, and was unchanged in 1 state. The largest over-the-
month increase in employment occurred in Florida (+28,000), followed by Ohio
(+12,000), Arizona and Louisiana (+10,100 each), and Texas (+8,800). Wyoming experienced
the largest over-the-month percentage increase in employment (+0.8 percent), followed
by Louisiana (+0.5 percent) and Arizona and Florida (+0.4 percent each). The
largest over-the-month decrease in employment occurred in California (-29,200),
followed by New York (-24,700), Pennsylvania (-14,200), Michigan (-13,400), and
Maryland (-13,300). Alaska experienced the largest over-the-month percentage decline
in employment (-1.5 percent), followed by Vermont (-1.2 percent), Delaware
(-0.9 percent), and West Virginia (-0.7 percent). Over the year, nonfarm employment
increased in 39 states and decreased in 11 states and the District of Columbia.
The largest over-the-year percentage increase occurred in North Dakota (+4.3 percent),
followed by Texas (+2.0 percent), Nebraska (+1.9 percent), and Wyoming (+1.7 percent).
The largest over-the-year percent decrease in employment occurred in Maryland
(-0.8 percent), followed by New Mexico (-0.7 percent) and Georgia and Nevada
(-0.6 percent each).
Among the nine geographic divisions, the Pacific continued to report the highest
jobless rate, 10.9 percent in May. The West North Central again registered the lowest
rate, 6.7 percent. The Mountain was the only division to experience a statistically
significant over-the-month unemployment rate change (-0.2 percentage point). Over
the year, six divisions posted significant rate changes, all decreases; the largest
of these was in the East North Central (-1.8 percentage points).
Nevada continued to register the highest unemployment rate among the states, 12.1
percent in May. California recorded the next highest rate, 11.7 percent. North Dakota
reported the lowest jobless rate, 3.2 percent, followed by Nebraska, 4.1 percent, and
New Hampshire and South Dakota, 4.8 percent each. In total, 25 states posted jobless
rates significantly lower than the U.S. figure of 9.1 percent, 5 states recorded
measurably higher rates, and 20 states and the District of Columbia had rates that
were not appreciably different from that of the nation. (See tables A and 3.)
New Mexico experienced the largest over-the-month unemployment rate decrease in
May (-0.7 percentage point). Three other states also posted statistically significant
rate declines from April--Oklahoma (-0.3 percentage point) and Florida and Idaho
(-0.2 point each). The remaining 46 states and the District of Columbia registered
jobless rates that were not measurably different from those of a month earlier,
though some had changes that were at least as large numerically as the significant
changes.
Nevada recorded the largest jobless rate decrease from May 2010 (-2.8 percentage
points). Two other states had rate decreases of more than 2.0 percentage points--
Michigan (-2.5 points) and Indiana (-2.2 points). Nineteen additional states had
smaller but also statistically significant decreases over the year. The remaining 28
states and the District of Columbia registered unemployment rates that were not
appreciably different from those of a year earlier. (See table B.)
Nonfarm Payroll Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)
Over the month, 15 states recorded statistically significant changes in employment.
The four states reporting over-the-month statistically significant job gains were
Florida (+28,000), Arizona and Louisiana (+10,100 each), and Wyoming (+2,200). The
largest over-the-month statistically significant declines in employment occurred in
California (-29,200), New York (-24,700), Pennsylvania (-14,200), Michigan (-13,400),
and Maryland (-13,300). (See tables C and 5.)
Over the year, 15 states experienced statistically significant changes in employment,
all of which were increases. The largest increase occurred in Texas (+205,400),
followed by California (+87,300), Ohio (+65,900), Illinois (+61,600), and
Pennsylvania (+44,300). (See table D.)
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The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for May is scheduled
to be released on Wednesday, June 29, 2011, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT). The Regional and
State Employment and Unemployment news release for June is scheduled to be released
on Friday, July 22, 2011, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).
Table A. States with unemployment rates significantly different
from that of the U.S., May 2011, seasonally adjusted
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State | Rate(p)
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United States (1) ...................| 9.1
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Alaska ..............................| 7.4
Arkansas ............................| 7.8
California ..........................| 11.7
Delaware ............................| 8.0
Florida .............................| 10.6
Hawaii ..............................| 6.0
Iowa ................................| 6.0
Kansas ..............................| 6.6
Maine ...............................| 7.7
Maryland ............................| 6.8
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Massachusetts .......................| 7.6
Michigan ............................| 10.3
Minnesota ...........................| 6.6
MONTANA .............................| 7.3
Nebraska ............................| 4.1
Nevada ..............................| 12.1
New Hampshire .......................| 4.8
New Mexico ..........................| 6.9
New York ............................| 7.9
North Dakota ........................| 3.2
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Oklahoma ............................| 5.3
Pennsylvania ........................| 7.4
Rhode Island ........................| 10.9
South Dakota ........................| 4.8
Texas ...............................| 8.0
Utah ................................| 7.3
Vermont .............................| 5.4
Virginia ............................| 6.0
Wisconsin ...........................| 7.4
Wyoming .............................| 6.0
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1 Data are not preliminary.
p = preliminary. |
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