Internet Explorer 11 is not supported

For optimal browsing, we recommend Chrome, Firefox or Safari browsers.

Indiana, Texas, Georgia Add Most Jobs in April

A few states added significant jobs last month. See how your state's employment has changed over the year.

Payroll employment continued to climb in 32 states and the District of Columbia last month, according to Labor Department data released this morning.

Indiana added an estimated 17,100 jobs to payrolls in April, the most in the country. The state’s unemployment rate dipped 0.3 percent, falling below 8 percent for the first time since November 2008.

Texas, Georgia and Missouri reported the next-highest monthly employment gains. Among states experiencing declines, Maryland led the nation with an estimated 6,000 job losses.

Unemployment rates fluctuated little from the previous month. Nine states recorded statistically significant monthly jobless rate drops, led by Arizona and Oklahoma’s 0.4 percent declines.  Other states added jobs, but not enough to lower unemployment rates.

Over the year, Michigan’s jobless rate has plunged 2.2 percent, the most of any state.

A shrinking labor force has inflated unemployment rates for many states. The nation’s current labor force participation rate registered at 63.6 percent in April, the lowest level since 1981. The country’s aging population, with many retirees, along with job seekers giving up their search for work account for much of the steady decline.

The nation’s unemployment rate – currently at 8.1 percent -- would have jumped to 8.4 percent had the labor force remained at March levels, according to Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

When measuring total payroll employment over the previous year, the Labor Department reports 24 states experienced statistically significant gains.

The following table lists changes in total employees on nonfarm payrolls for each state:
 



State Monthly change Year-over-year change
Texas 13,200 225,800 (2.1%)
California -4,200 175,600 (1.2%)
New York 700 13,1000 (1.5%)
Michigan 4,500 59,300 (1.5%)
Indiana 17,100 54,200 (1.9%)
Florida -2,700 52,600 (0.7%)
Arizona 4,000 50,900 (2.1%)
Ohio -3,400 47,200 (0.9%)
Louisiana 2,700 44,900 (2.3%)
Tennessee 1,700 43,300 (1.6%)
Maryland -6,000 40,600 (1.6%)
Colorado 1,200 39,800 (1.8%)
New Jersey 2,600 39,600 (1%)
Washington 2,100 38,600 (1.4%)
Pennsylvania -600 38,600 (0.7%)
Oklahoma 3,700 38,500 (2.5%)
Virginia 2,700 34,800 (0.9%)
Kentucky 1,900 32,700 (1.8%)
North Carolina -1,300 30,300 (0.8%)
Utah 4,800 28,800 (2.4%)
Illinois 100 28,000 (0.5%)
North Dakota 2,800 27,800 (7.2%)
Massachusetts 2,500 27,400 (0.9%)
Georgia 7,800 24,700 (0.6%)
Minnesota -3,100 23,300 (0.9%)
Iowa 5,800 18,100 (1.2%)
South Carolina -1,800 16,400 (0.9%)
District of Columbia 300 15,400 (2.1%)
Missouri 6,000 10,200 (0.4%)
Hawaii 4,600 10,100 (1.7%)
Kansas 100 8,300 (0.6%)
Idaho -700 7,200 (1.2%)
Nebraska 3,800 6,300 (0.7%)
West Virginia -1,800 6,200 (0.8%)
Nevada -600 5,400 (0.5%)
Oregon 2,300 4,000 (0.2%)
Alabama 4,100 3,800 (0.2%)
South Dakota 1,100 2,700 (0.7%)
New Mexico 2,100 2,300 (0.3%)
Wyoming -600 2,300 (0.8%)
Vermont -1,500 1,900 (0.6%)
Delaware 2,100 1,600 (0.4%)
Maine -1,200 700 (0.1%)
Alaska -2,300 300 (0.1%)
Arkansas 5,500 -800 (-0.1%)
Montana 300 -1,300 (-0.3%)
Mississippi 800 -1,800 (-0.2%)
Connecticut -4,100 -2,300 (-0.1%)
New Hampshire -4,800 -3,700 (-0.6%)
Rhode Island 100 -4,300 (-0.9%)
Wisconsin -5,900 -21,400 (-0.8%)

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Mike Maciag is Data Editor for GOVERNING.
Special Projects