Key Points:
- Unemployment rates rose in 15 states, fell in one, and remained stable in 34 states and the District of Columbia in December.
- The U.S. unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.7% in December.
- In total, 16 states had unemployment rates lower than the U.S. figure of 3.7 percent, 5 states and the District of Columbia had higher rates, and 29 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation.
- Eighteen states and the District had jobless rate increases from a year earlier, 15 states had decreases, and 17 states had little change.
- Maryland and North Dakota had the lowest jobless rate in December at 1.9%, followed by South Dakota at 2.0%.
- Nevada has the highest unemployment rate again at 5.4%, followed by California and the District at 5.1%.
- In December, 15 states had over-the-month unemployment rate increases, the largest of which were in Massachusetts and Rhode Island (+0.3%).