WASHINGTON, DC – Unemployment rates in 44 states and the District of Columbia either held steady or 
fell in May, and job growth was positive in the vast majority of states, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Over the past three months, 46 states and the District of Columbia added jobs, with North Dakota making the largest percentage job gains. Over that same period job losses occurred in Connecticut, Montana, and Wisconsin.
“In 25 states, the unemployment rate—averaged over the last three months—is at or below 4.0 percent,” said Economic Analyst Jessica Schieder. “However, there’s reason to believe today’s relatively low unemployment rates are overstating the health of the labor market. For example, nationally, nominal wage growth has largely plateaued since late 2015.”
From February to May, the unemployment rate fell in 32 states and the District of Columbia. New Mexico (-0.7 percentage points), Delaware (-0.4 percentage points), Illinois (-0.4 percentage points), South Carolina (-0.4 percentage points), Pennsylvania (-0.3 percentage points), and Virginia (-0.3 percentage points) saw the largest declines in unemployment rates. Over those same months, the unemployment rate increased in seven states. The largest increases in unemployment rates occurred in Alabama and Mississippi.
