Regional and state unemployment data

Today's gloomy economic data, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics release yesterday:

Regional and state unemployment rates were nearly all higher in March. Forty-six states recorded over-the-month unemployment rate increases, North Dakota and the District of Columbia registered rate decreases, and 3 states had no change in their rate, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Over the year, jobless rates were up in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The national unemployment rate rose from 8.1 percent in February to 8.5 percent in March, which was 3.4 percent-age points higher than in March 2008.

In March 2009, nonfarm payroll employment decreased in 48 states and the District of Columbia and rose in 2 states. The largest over-the-month employment decrease occurred in California (-62,100), followed by Florida (-51,900), Texas (-47,100), North Carolina (-41,300), Illinois (-39,600), and Ohio (-37,500). North Carolina experienced the largest over-the-month percentage decrease in employment (-1.0 percent), followed by Idaho, Minnesota, and Washington (-0.9 percent each) and Delaware, Nebraska, and Oregon (-0.8 percent each). The 2 states to show an over-the-month increase in employment were Mississippi (+300 or less than +0.1 percent) and North Dakota (+300 or +0.1 percent). Over the year, nonfarm employment decreased in 46 states and increased in 4 states and the District of Columbia. The largest over-the-year percentage decreases in employment occurred in Arizona (-7.0 percent), Michigan (-6.4 percent), Florida, Nevada, and Oregon (-5.4 percent each), and Idaho and North Carolina (-5.0 percent each). The over-the-year percentage increases in employment occurred in the District of Columbia (+0.8 percent), Alaska (+0.7 percent), North Dakota (+0.3 percent), and Louisiana and Wyoming (+0.2 percent each). [emphasis added] ...

Read the rest here, with tables.