Unemployment Rates Remain Steady in March

(CN) - State and regional unemployment rates were little changed in March, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced Friday.

Twenty-one states had unemployment rate decreases when compared to February's numbers; 15 states had increases; and 14 states and the District of Columbia had no change.

In addition, 36 states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier; 12 states had increases; and 2 states had no change.

The national jobless rate, 5.0 percent, was little changed from February and was 0.5 percentage point lower than in March 2015.

In March 2016, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 37 states, decreased in 12 states and the District of Columbia, and was unchanged in South Dakota.

The largest over-the-month increases in employment occurred in Maryland, Ohio, and New Jersey. The largest decrease in employment over the same period occurred in Texas, followed by Indiana and Oklahoma.

The largest over-the-month percentage increases in employment occurred in Hawaii and Maryland, followed by Rhode Island and South Carolina. The biggest over-the-month percentage declines in employment occurred in Alaska and Wyoming, followed by Arkansas, Indiana, and Oklahoma.

Over the year, nonfarm employment increased in 43 states and the District of Columbia, decreased in 6 states, and was unchanged in Kansas.

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