In 13 states, U.S. Labor Department data published today indicates the increase in jobs was large enough to be considered statistically significant. Texas and California, which typically experience the largest increases in employment by virtue of being the most populous states, both added more than 50,000 jobs in April. Florida, North Carolina and Georgia also recorded strong job growth for the month.
A few states reported slight declines, but only Illinois lost more than 5,000 jobs.
The unemployment rate, measured by a separate survey, similarly dipped in all but seven states. Two states with among the highest rates nationally, Illinois and Nevada, both reported declines of 0.5 percent. The unemployment rate also fell by 0.4 percent in Arizona, Ohio, Rhode Island and Tennessee.
State | March-April Jobs Change | Year-Over-Year Jobs Change | April Employment Total | March Unemployment Rate | April Unemployment Rate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | 1,800 | 13,500 | 1,914,000 | 6.7 | 6.9 |
Alaska | 2,000 | 1,500 | 338,400 | 6.6 | 6.4 |
Arizona | -200 | 40,600 | 2,550,300 | 7.3 | 6.9 |
Arkansas | -500 | 10,700 | 1,187,900 | 6.9 | 6.6 |
California | 56,100 | 340,200 | 15,424,600 | 8.1 | 7.8 |
Colorado | 13,900 | 70,800 | 2,438,100 | 6.2 | 6 |
Connecticut | 2,200 | 6,900 | 1,660,200 | 7 | 6.9 |
Delaware | 1,200 | 8,300 | 433,400 | 5.9 | 5.8 |
District of Columbia | 3,500 | 2,600 | 748,800 | 7.5 | 7.5 |
Florida | 34,000 | 246,800 | 7,778,500 | 6.3 | 6.2 |
Georgia | 14,600 | 76,400 | 4,095,600 | 7 | 7 |
Hawaii | 3,300 | 6,000 | 623,500 | 4.5 | 4.4 |
Idaho | 2,600 | 5,100 | 643,900 | 5.2 | 5 |
Illinois | -6,800 | 29,300 | 5,808,400 | 8.4 | 7.9 |
Indiana | 4,200 | 48,000 | 2,970,700 | 5.9 | 5.7 |
Iowa | 5,600 | 24,000 | 1,544,400 | 4.5 | 4.3 |
Kansas | 2,500 | 16,800 | 1,386,400 | 4.9 | 4.8 |
Kentucky | 7,000 | 6,200 | 1,841,100 | 7.9 | 7.7 |
Louisiana | 4,700 | 14,400 | 1,960,500 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
Maine | -2,200 | 5,600 | 605,100 | 5.9 | 5.7 |
Maryland | 9,300 | 24,900 | 2,617,000 | 5.6 | 5.5 |
Massachusetts | -1,600 | 46,200 | 3,395,900 | 6.3 | 6 |
Michigan | 1,100 | 24,300 | 4,115,800 | 7.5 | 7.4 |
Minnesota | -4,200 | 40,800 | 2,807,800 | 4.8 | 4.7 |
Mississippi | 4,900 | 10,000 | 1,118,500 | 7.6 | 7.5 |
Missouri | 8,200 | 38,800 | 2,763,600 | 6.7 | 6.6 |
Montana | -500 | 3,500 | 453,000 | 5.1 | 4.8 |
Nebraska | 0 | 11,800 | 986,600 | 3.8 | 3.6 |
Nevada | 3,000 | 44,700 | 1,212,900 | 8.5 | 8 |
New Hampshire | 2,100 | 11,300 | 650,700 | 4.5 | 4.4 |
New Jersey | 4,500 | 4,700 | 3,932,400 | 7.2 | 6.9 |
New Mexico | -1,800 | -5,900 | 808,300 | 7 | 6.8 |
New York | 1,600 | 79,100 | 8,983,900 | 6.9 | 6.7 |
North Carolina | 15,300 | 71,100 | 4,113,900 | 6.3 | 6.2 |
North Dakota | 1,400 | 22,800 | 460,900 | 2.6 | 2.6 |
Ohio | 12,600 | 55,300 | 5,297,600 | 6.1 | 5.7 |
Oklahoma | 4,100 | 25,600 | 1,654,000 | 4.9 | 4.6 |
Oregon | 6,100 | 49,200 | 1,716,400 | 6.9 | 6.9 |
Pennsylvania | 10,900 | 34,400 | 5,768,800 | 6 | 5.7 |
Rhode Island | 700 | 6,700 | 476,000 | 8.7 | 8.3 |
South Carolina | 5,300 | 39,900 | 1,929,200 | 5.5 | 5.3 |
South Dakota | 500 | 4,900 | 420,400 | 3.7 | 3.8 |
Tennessee | 2,400 | 48,000 | 2,789,400 | 6.7 | 6.3 |
Texas | 64,100 | 348,000 | 11,477,100 | 5.5 | 5.2 |
Utah | 5,700 | 38,500 | 1,322,700 | 4.1 | 3.8 |
Vermont | 100 | 3,200 | 308,900 | 3.4 | 3.3 |
Virginia | -200 | -4,500 | 3,764,900 | 4.9 | 4.9 |
Washington | 7,700 | 64,200 | 3,039,000 | 6.3 | 6.1 |
West Virginia | 2,200 | 6,400 | 770,400 | 6.1 | 6 |
Wisconsin | 8,000 | 54,100 | 2,857,700 | 5.9 | 5.8 |
Wyoming | -900 | 3,300 | 293,500 | 4 | 3.7 |
Source: BLS, seasonally-adjusted data. March and April figures are preliminary.