w:st="on">March w:st="on">State Employment and
Unemployment:  The Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported regional
and state employment and unemployment for March (available at href="http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/laus.pdf"
title="http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/laus.pdf">http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/laus.pdf). 
Highlights of the report:

style='font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:
Symbol'>·                   
Non-farm payroll employment increased in
47 states and decreased in 3 states and the w:st="on">District of Columbia in March.

• Three states had over-the-month
  changes in employment in March that were statistically significant, all
  of which were increases.  The gains were in Tennessee
  (+12,400 jobs), Indiana (+12,000 jobs),
  and Utah
  (+8,600 jobs).

style='mso-list:Ignore'>·                   
Over the year ending in March, payroll
employment increased in 46 states and the District of
Columbia and decreased in 4 states (Indiana,
Michigan, Ohio,
and Wisconsin).

style='font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:
Symbol'>·                   
Unemployment rates declined in 30 states
and the District of Columbia
in March, 12 states recorded increases, and 8 states had no change.

• In March, w:st="on">Montana recorded the lowest
  unemployment rate at 2.0%.  The states with the next lowest rates
  were Utah at 2.4%, Hawaii
  at 2.5%, and Nebraska and w:st="on">Wyoming at
  2.6%. 




• Two states posted the
  lowest jobless rates in their series – Montana
  (2.0%) and Pennsylvania
  (3.8%).


• Mississippi
  and Michigan
  reported the highest unemployment rates in March, 6.9% and 6.5%,
  respectively. 




• Eight states registered
  statistically significant over-the-month unemployment rate declines in
  March (Illinois, Kansas,
  Maryland, Massachusetts,
  Montana, Nebraska,
  South Dakota, and w:st="on">Texas).  The remaining 42 states
  and the District of Columbia
  recorded unemployment rates that were not appreciably different from
  those in February. 

style='font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:
Symbol'>·                   
Over the year ending in March, the unemployment
rate declined in 36 states and the District
of Columbia, rose in 9 states, and was unchanged in 5
states.

Jeffrey Wrasestyle='color:blue'>

Chief Economist,
Senate Republicans

Joint Economic
Committee

H-805 w:st="on">Hart Senate
Office Buildingstyle='color:black'>

(202) 224-2335style='color:black'>

href="mailto:jeff_wrase@jec.senate.gov" title="mailto:jeff_wrase@jec.senate.gov">jeff_wrase@jec.senate.gov