Regional, state unemployment rates hold steady

• April 20, 2012 • 10:35am

Thirty states recorded unemployment rate decreases in March from February while eight states posted rate increases, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.

Another 12 states and the District of Columbia had no change.

Forty-nine states and the District of Columbia registered unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier, while New York experienced an increase.

The national jobless rate was little changed from February at 8.2%.

The largest over-the-month increase in employment occurred in New York (+19,100), followed by California (+18,200) and Arizona (+13,500).

The largest over-the-month decrease in employment occurred in Ohio (-9,500), followed by New Jersey (-8,600) and Wisconsin (-4,500).

Arizona (8.6% unemployment) experienced the largest over-the-month percentage increase in employment (+0.6%).

The West continued to record the highest regional unemployment rate in March, 9.6%, seasonably adjusted, while the Midwest again reported the lowest rate, 7.4%.

Nevada continued to record the highest unemployment rate among the states, 12%, seasonably adjusted, in March.

North Dakota again registered the lowest jobless rate, 3%.

kcurry@housingwire.com

@communicatorKLC

 

More In The Economy

The Troubled Asset Relief Program, which launched more than four years ago to stabilize both banks and the mortgage finance market, is costing the federal government a bit less than initially expected.

The May Federal Open Market Committee meeting minutes reveal a number of participants are willing to put the breaks on quantitative easing.