Unemployment Rates Steady in Most US States in February
30 states see increase in jobless rate from a year ago
Unemployment rate in the U.S. has remained stable without appreciable change in February over the previous month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. The report ahead of the worsening tariff wars President Donald Trump has launched against allies does not indicate any worsening trend.
One U.S. state saw higher unemployment rate in February while it remained stable in 49 states and the District of Columbia, However, year over year, 30 states showed jobless rate increases, one state had a decrease, and 19 states and the District had little change.
The national employment rate remained steady at 4.1 percent but was 0.2 percentage point higher than a year ago, the report said.
Nonfarm payroll employment rose in 3 states and was unchanged in 47 states and the District of Columbia in February 2025. Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 17 states and was essentially unchanged in 33 states and the District.
Unemployment remains steady
The unemployment rate was the lowest at 1.9% in South Dakota in February while Nevada had the highest unemployment rate, of 5.8%. In total, 18 states had unemployment rates lower than the national figure of 4.1 percent, 5 states and the District of Columbia had higher rates, and 27 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation.
The only state to experience an unemployment rate change in February was Florida at +0.1 percentage point. The remaining 49 states and the District of Columbia had jobless rates not notably different from those of a month earlier, though some had changes that were at least as large numerically as the significant change.
The unemployment rate increased in 30 states from February 2024, the largest of which was in Michigan (+1.4 percentage points) and Mississippi (+1 point). Montana at -0.2 percentage points showed a decrease in the unemployment rate year over year. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia had jobless rates that were not notably different from those of a year earlier, though some had changes that were at least as large numerically as the significant changes.
Nonfarm Payroll Employment
Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 3 states and was essentially unchanged in 47 states and the District of Columbia in February 2025. Job gains occurred in Ohio (+23,100, or +0.4%), New Jersey (+19,200, or +0.4%), and Missouri (+12,500, or +0.4%).
Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 17 states and was essentially unchanged in 33 states and the District of Columbia. The largest job gains occurred in Texas (+182,300), New York (+152,600), and Florida (+128,300). The largest percentage increase occurred in Idaho (+2.7 percent), followed by South Carolina and Utah (+2.0 percent each).
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