Only a handful of states added more than 10,000 jobs for the month, led by Texas (+33,100) and New York (+25,300). Most states didn’t experience any major swings in employment, and only Minnesota and Wisconsin recorded significant month-over-month job losses.
Over the first four months of the year, though, a few states have enjoyed notable job gains.
The most populous states (as is typically the case) added the most total jobs. Texas saw its payrolls expand by an estimated 121,300 so far this year, while Colorado (+26,900), Utah (+19,900) and Washington state (+31,900) have also fared particularly well, registering the largest percentage increases in payroll employment.
Here’s a table with seasonally-adjusted nonfarm payroll employment, comparing the preliminary data just released to each state's totals for December.
| State | Change since 12/2012 | March-April Jobs gained/lost | April 2013 Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 121,300 | 33,100 | 11,146,000 |
| California | 77,200 | 10,300 | 14,602,200 |
| Florida | 63,300 | 17,000 | 7,515,400 |
| New York | 57,800 | 25,300 | 8,904,700 |
| Washington | 31,900 | 3,800 | 2,917,200 |
| Georgia | 28,200 | 4,300 | 4,016,800 |
| Michigan | 27,900 | -4,500 | 4,056,800 |
| Colorado | 26,900 | 11,600 | 2,362,700 |
| North Carolina | 22,300 | 6,100 | 4,054,600 |
| Virginia | 20,100 | 12,100 | 3,765,900 |
| Utah | 19,900 | -1,600 | 1,286,100 |
| New Jersey | 18,100 | 3,300 | 3,950,300 |
| Tennessee | 17,600 | 4,500 | 2,757,300 |
| Oregon | 17,000 | 3,700 | 1,660,800 |
| Maryland | 13,700 | -6,200 | 2,602,900 |
| Massachusetts | 12,900 | -1,400 | 3,312,000 |
| Mississippi | 11,100 | 2,700 | 1,119,300 |
| Pennsylvania | 10,400 | 6,700 | 5,753,000 |
| Connecticut | 9,600 | 6,300 | 1,649,300 |
| Minnesota | 8,700 | -11,400 | 2,760,600 |
| Arkansas | 8,400 | 4,500 | 1,189,300 |
| Ohio | 8,200 | 7,600 | 5,183,200 |
| Alabama | 8,000 | 3,200 | 1,892,500 |
| Oklahoma | 6,800 | 1,800 | 1,624,800 |
| Arizona | 6,500 | -1,100 | 2,494,800 |
| Idaho | 5,800 | 700 | 634,900 |
| South Carolina | 5,000 | 3,100 | 1,881,500 |
| Indiana | 4,600 | 4,400 | 2,928,300 |
| Missouri | 4,600 | 12,100 | 2,692,500 |
| Maine | 3,700 | -400 | 597,400 |
| West Virginia | 3,300 | -100 | 769,500 |
| New Mexico | 3,300 | 2,200 | 810,500 |
| Nevada | 3,200 | 5,600 | 1,161,900 |
| New Hampshire | 3,100 | -400 | 638,400 |
| Delaware | 2,900 | -300 | 424,400 |
| Illinois | 2,600 | -2,000 | 5,775,500 |
| South Dakota | 2,600 | -900 | 418,500 |
| North Dakota | 2,500 | 0 | 441,200 |
| Iowa | 2,300 | 0 | 1,518,000 |
| Rhode Island | 1,800 | 500 | 467,400 |
| Wyoming | 1,100 | -600 | 289,900 |
| Hawaii | 1,000 | 3,000 | 612,600 |
| Nebraska | 400 | -3,300 | 962,000 |
| Kansas | 300 | -1,700 | 1,366,200 |
| Vermont | 200 | -100 | 306,300 |
| Alaska | -200 | 100 | 335,200 |
| Montana | -400 | -100 | 445,200 |
| Kentucky | -500 | 3,200 | 1,836,200 |
| Louisiana | -1,700 | 700 | 1,943,700 |
| Wisconsin | -14,300 | -24,100 | 2,781,700 |
Unemployment rates similarly dropped in 40 states and the District of Columbia last month, while only three states recorded increases. Nevada still has the nation’s highest rate (9.6 percent) followed by Illinois and Mississippi.
