Meanwhile, back in the US, USA Today reports jobless rates rose in 25 states, D.C.
Unemployment rates rose in 25 states and the District of Columbia in January, but almost half the states posted rates significantly lower than the national 7.9%, the government reported Monday.
Unemployment fell in eight states and 17 states had no change from December, the Labor Department said in its monthly report on the labor market in all 50 states.
North Dakota again had the lowest rate at 3.3%.
California and Rhode Island tied for the highest unemployment rate — 9.8%. Nevada, which had the second-highest rate, was at 9.7%. Its rate dropped 2.3 percentage points, the most of any state.
Nine states reported significant increases in unemployment rates in January, the government said. Illinois and Mississippi had the largest ones — 0.4 percentage point. Illinois’ rate rose to 9% and Mississippi’s was 9.3%.
Here is the official Regional Unemployment Report from the BLS.
States with unemployment rates significantly different from that of the U.S., January 2013, seasonally adjusted.
| State | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|
| United States Average | 7.9 |
| Alaska | 6.7 |
| California | 9.8 |
| Georgia | 8.7 |
| Hawaii | 5.2 |
| Idaho | 6.3 |
| Illinois | 9 |
| Iowa | 5 |
| Kansas | 5.5 |
| Louisiana | 5.9 |
| Maryland | 6.7 |
| Massachusetts | 6.7 |
| Michigan | 8.9 |
| Minnesota | 5.6 |
| Mississippi | 9.3 |
| Missouri | 6.5 |
| Montana | 5.7 |
| Nebraska | 3.8 |
| Nevada | 9.7 |
| New Hampshire | 5.8 |
| New Jersey | 9.5 |
| New Mexico | 6.6 |
| North Carolina | 9.5 |
| North Dakota | 3.3 |
| Ohio | 7 |
| Oklahoma | 5.1 |
| Rhode Island | 9.8 |
| South Dakota | 4.4 |
| Texas | 6.3 |
| Utah | 5.4 |
| Vermont | 4.7 |
| Virginia | 5.6 |
| Wisconsin | 7 |
| Wyoming | 4.9 |
Mike “Mish” Shedlock
