Key Points:
- Unemployment rates rose in 16 states, and remained stable in 34 states and the District of Columbia in September.
- The U.S. unemployment rate rose was unchanged over the month at 3.8% in September, but 0.3% higher than September 2022.
- In total, 25 states had unemployment rates lower than the U.S. figure of 3.8 percent, 2 states and the District of Columbia had higher rates, and 23 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation.
- Twenty-four states had jobless rate decreases from a year earlier, 10 states and the District had increases, and 16 states had little change.
- Maryland had the lowest jobless rate in September at 1.6%, followed by North Dakota, South Dakota, and Vermont at 1.9%.
- The rates in Maryland (1.6%), Pennsylvania (3.4%), and Rhode Island (2.6%) set new series lows.
- Nevada has the highest unemployment rate again at 5.4%, followed by the District at 5.0%, and California at 4.7%.
- In September, 16 states had over-the-month unemployment rate increases, the largest of which was in Illinois (+0.3%).