WASHINGTON – New England has the second-lowest regional jobless rate in the nation in July, according to seasonally adjusted data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Friday, as Rhode Island’s rate stayed at 10.8 percent.
New England, at 7.9 percent, trailed the lowest jobless rate, 6.8 percent, in the West North Central division of the nation’s nine geographic divisions.
The Northeast, made up of New England and the Middle Atlantic, had a rate of 8.2 percent, the lowest regional rate. The Midwest came in second, at 8.5 percent, followed by: the South, 9.0 percent, and the West, 10.5 percent.
Thirty-seven states posted unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier in July, 7 states and the District of Columbia reported increases, and six states had no change.
Nevada continued to register the highest unemployment rate among the states, at 12.9 percent in July, and California recorded the next highest rate, 12.0 percent. On the other hand, North Dakota reported the lowest jobless rate, 3.3 percent, followed by Nebraska at 4.1 percent.
