State Employment and Unemployment Statistics Released for December 2021

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has reported state employment and unemployment rates for December 2021. According to the BLS, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 17 states and was essentially unchanged in 33 states and the District of Columbia in December 2021. Over the year, 48 states and the District of Columbia added nonfarm payroll jobs and 2 states were essentially unchanged.

The unemployment rates were lower in December in 42 states and the District of Columbia and stable in 8 states. Forty-eight states and the District of Columbia had jobless rate decreases from a year earlier and two states were little changed. The national unemployment rate, 3.9%, declined by -0.3 percentage point over the month and was -2.8 points lower than in December 2020.

The largest job gains occurred in California (+50,700), Texas (+50,000), and New York (+45,300). The largest percentage increases occurred in Iowa and West Virginia (+0.8% each), followed by Massachusetts, Missouri, and Montana (+0.6% each).

Nebraska had the lowest jobless rate in December at 1.7%, followed by Utah at 1.9%. The rates in the following 12 states set new series lows (all state series begin in 1976): Arkansas at 3.1%, Georgia at 2.6%, Idaho at 2.4%, Indiana at 2.7%, Kentucky at 3.9%, Mississippi at 4.5%, Montana at 2.5%, Nebraska at 2.7%, Oklahoma at 2.3%, Utah at 1.9%, West Virginia at 3.7%, and Wisconsin at 2.8%. California and Nevada had the highest unemployment rates of 6.5% and 6.4%, respectively.