New England jobless rate 2nd lowest

THIRTY-eight states registered unemployment rate decreases in September from a year earlier, while 10 states and the District of Columbia reported increases. Two states reported no change. / COURTESY U.S. BLS
THIRTY-eight states registered unemployment rate decreases in September from a year earlier, while 10 states and the District of Columbia reported increases. Two states reported no change. / COURTESY U.S. BLS

WASHINGTON – New England had the second-lowest rate of joblessness of the U.S. nine geographic divisions.

New England reported an unemployment rate of 7.7 percent in September, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest rate, 6.8 percent, was in the West North Central division, while the highest rate, 11.1 percent, was in the Pacific.

Separately, Rhode Island reported a jobless rate of 10.5 percent in September, down from 10.6 percent a month earlier, the state labor department said Friday. It stood at 11.5 percent in September 2010.

Thirty-eight states registered unemployment rate decreases in September from a year earlier, while 10 states and the District of Columbia reported increases. Two states reported no change.

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Nevada continued to report the highest unemployment rate at 13.4 percent last month, followed by California – 11.9 percent. On the other hand, North Dakota had the lowest rate, 3.5 percent, followed by Nebraska, 4.2 percent.

Over the year, 28 states experienced “statistically significant” changes in nonfarm employment, 27 of which were increases; the only decrease was in Delaware. The largest gains were in California, Texas, New York and Florida.

When looking at the four Census regions: the West had the highest rate of 10.4 percent, trailed by the South, 9.1 percent; the Midwest, 8.7 percent; and the Northeast 8.2 percent.

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