TEXT
Table 1.  Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 years of age and over by region, division, and state,

Technical information:  (202) 606-6392         USDL 95-92
 
 
Media contact:                606-5902         For release:  10:00 A.M. EST
                                               Tuesday, March 21, 1995
 
 
           STATE AND REGIONAL UNEMPLOYMENT, 1994 ANNUAL AVERAGES
 
     Unemployment rates varied widely across the United States in 1994,
according to annual averages released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of
the U.S. Department of Labor.  Among the states, Nebraska had the lowest
unemployment rate, 2.9 percent, a full 6 percentage points lower than the
highest rate--West Virginia's 8.9 percent.  Among geographic regions, the
lowest rate was in the Midwest (5.1 percent) and the highest was in the
West (7.2 percent).  The average for the nation was 6.1 percent.
 
     Relative standings among regions in 1994 continued recent patterns.
For the fourth consecutive year, the Midwest had the lowest unemployment
rate of the four regions, and the West had the highest for the third
straight year.  The unemployment rate in the South--the largest region with
one-third of the nation's population--was about the same as the national
average for the fifth consecutive year.  The rate in the Northeast was
above the national average for the fourth year in a row.
 
     Within the regions, the West North Central division in the Midwest and
the Mountain division in the West continued to have the lowest unemployment
rates.  However, the other division in the West--the Pacific--was once
again the division with the highest jobless rate.  The Middle Atlantic
division in the Northeast had the second highest jobless rate, but the rate
in New England--the other Northeast division--was about the same as the
national average in both 1994 and 1993 after being higher in 1992 and 1991.
The West South Central division in the South has had an unemployment rate
at or slightly above the national average for 5 years, while the South
Atlantic division's rate remained a bit below the national rate in 1994.
 
     In 1994, 32 states had lower unemployment rates than the national
average, 17 states and the District of Columbia had higher rates, and one
state had the same rate.  Eight states--Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota,
Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Utah--had
unemployment rates of less than 4.5 percent.  Alaska, California,
Louisiana, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia had rates of 7.8
percent or more.  (See map.)
 
     All estimates presented in this release, except those for Puerto Rico,
were derived from the Current Population Survey, a sample survey of about
60,000 households conducted monthly for the Bureau of Labor Statistics by
the Bureau of Census.  A description of the survey and information about
the reliability of the state estimates appear in Geographic Profile of
Employment and Unemployment, 1993, Bulletin 2446.
 
                                   - 2 -
 
     Data for 1994 are not fully comparable with data for
1993 and prior years.  For additional information, see "Revisions in State
and Area Estimates Effective January 1994" in the March 1994 issue of
Employment and Earnings.
 
     Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired
individuals upon request.  Voice phone:  202-606-STAT, TDD phone:
202-606-5897, TDD message referral phone number:  1-800-326-2577.
 
Table 1.  Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 years of age and over by region, division, and state,
 1993-94 annual averages
 
 (Numbers in thousands)
 
 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                                    |               |               |               |               |               |
                                    |               |Civilian labor |               |               | Unemployment  |
                                    |  Population   |     force     |   Employed    |  Unemployed   |     rate      | Error range
     Region, division, and state    |               |               |               |               |               |  of rate,
                                    |               |               |               |               |               |   19931/
                                    |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
                                    | 1993  | 1994  | 1993  | 1994  | 1993  | 1994  | 1993  | 1994  | 1993  | 1994  |
                                    |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                                    |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
          United States2/...........|193,550|196,814|128,040|131,056|119,306|123,060|  8,734|  7,996|   6.8 |   6.1 | 6.0  -   6.2
                                    |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
 Northeast..........................| 39,538| 39,560| 25,516| 25,360| 23,673| 23,723|  1,843|  1,637|   7.2 |   6.5 | 6.4  -   6.6
   New England......................| 10,226| 10,235|  7,044|  6,971|  6,569|  6,559|    476|    412|   6.8 |   5.9 | 5.6  -   6.2
     Connecticut....................|  2,520|  2,510|  1,773|  1,726|  1,663|  1,630|    110|     96|   6.2 |   5.6 | 4.9  -   6.3
     Maine..........................|    948|    953|    629|    612|    580|    567|     50|     45|   7.9 |   7.4 | 6.6  -   8.2
     Massachusetts..................|  4,678|  4,684|  3,180|  3,179|  2,963|  2,988|    218|    191|   6.9 |   6.0 | 5.7  -   6.3
     New Hampshire..................|    860|    870|    620|    628|    579|    599|     41|     29|   6.6 |   4.6 | 4.0  -   5.2
     Rhode Island...................|    773|    767|    520|    505|    480|    470|     40|     36|   7.7 |   7.1 | 6.4  -   7.8
     Vermont........................|    447|    451|    321|    321|    304|    305|     17|     15|   5.4 |   4.7 | 4.1  -   5.3
                                    |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
   Middle Atlantic..................| 29,312| 29,325| 18,471| 18,391| 17,103| 17,165|  1,368|  1,226|   7.4 |   6.7 | 6.5  -   6.9
     New Jersey.....................|  6,035|  6,057|  3,954|  3,991|  3,662|  3,719|    292|    272|   7.4 |   6.8 | 6.5  -   7.1
     New York.......................| 14,005| 13,989|  8,632|  8,571|  7,969|  7,978|    663|    593|   7.7 |   6.9 | 6.6  -   7.2
     Pennsylvania...................|  9,272|  9,279|  5,885|  5,829|  5,472|  5,468|    413|    361|   7.0 |   6.2 | 5.9  -   6.5
                                    |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
 Midwest............................| 45,907| 46,179| 31,376| 31,881| 29,491| 30,258|  1,885|  1,623|   6.0 |   5.1 | 5.0  -   5.2
   East North Central...............| 32,432| 32,608| 21,815| 22,140| 20,402| 20,930|  1,413|  1,210|   6.5 |   5.5 | 5.3  -   5.7
     Illinois.......................|  8,816|  8,861|  5,973|  5,999|  5,530|  5,660|    444|    340|   7.4 |   5.7 | 5.4  -   6.0
     Indiana........................|  4,331|  4,373|  2,947|  3,057|  2,789|  2,906|    157|    151|   5.3 |   4.9 | 4.3  -   5.5
     Michigan.......................|  7,114|  7,138|  4,690|  4,753|  4,363|  4,473|    327|    280|   7.0 |   5.9 | 5.6  -   6.2
     Ohio...........................|  8,384|  8,417|  5,480|  5,537|  5,124|  5,230|    356|    307|   6.5 |   5.5 | 5.2  -   5.8
     Wisconsin......................|  3,787|  3,819|  2,725|  2,795|  2,598|  2,663|    127|    132|   4.7 |   4.7 | 4.2  -   5.2
                                    |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
   West North Central...............| 13,475| 13,571|  9,563|  9,743|  9,091|  9,330|    472|    413|   4.9 |   4.2 | 4.0  -   4.4
     Iowa...........................|  2,136|  2,143|  1,565|  1,565|  1,503|  1,508|     62|     58|   4.0 |   3.7 | 3.2  -   4.2
     Kansas.........................|  1,868|  1,881|  1,326|  1,331|  1,259|  1,261|     66|     70|   5.0 |   5.3 | 4.7  -   5.9
     Minnesota......................|  3,361|  3,393|  2,474|  2,565|  2,348|  2,462|    125|    103|   5.1 |   4.0 | 3.5  -   4.5
     Missouri.......................|  3,934|  3,964|  2,656|  2,695|  2,486|  2,564|    170|    131|   6.4 |   4.9 | 4.3  -   5.5
     Nebraska.......................|  1,191|  1,198|    858|    876|    835|    851|     22|     25|   2.6 |   2.9 | 2.5  -   3.3
     North Dakota...................|    469|    471|    322|    337|    309|    324|     14|     13|   4.3 |   3.9 | 3.3  -   4.5
     South Dakota...................|    516|    521|    362|    374|    349|    362|     13|     12|   3.5 |   3.3 | 2.8  -   3.8
                                    |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
 South..............................| 67,638| 68,622| 44,201| 45,275| 41,342| 42,606|  2,858|  2,669|   6.5 |   5.9 | 5.8  -   6.0
   South Atlantic...................| 35,002| 35,509| 22,995| 23,428| 21,558| 22,104|  1,437|  1,324|   6.2 |   5.7 | 5.5  -   5.9
     Delaware.......................|    536|    542|    376|    384|    355|    365|     20|     19|   5.3 |   4.9 | 4.3  -   5.5
     District of Columbia...........|    478|    469|    319|    314|    292|    289|     27|     26|   8.5 |   8.2 | 7.4  -   9.0
     Florida........................| 10,731| 10,894|  6,654|  6,824|  6,191|  6,376|    463|    448|   7.0 |   6.6 | 6.3  -   6.9
     Georgia........................|  5,160|  5,275|  3,453|  3,566|  3,254|  3,381|    199|    185|   5.8 |   5.2 | 4.6  -   5.8
     Maryland.......................|  3,780|  3,811|  2,660|  2,691|  2,496|  2,554|    164|    137|   6.2 |   5.1 | 4.5  -   5.7
     North Carolina.................|  5,295|  5,382|  3,559|  3,609|  3,386|  3,451|    173|    158|   4.9 |   4.4 | 4.1  -   4.7
     South Carolina.................|  2,730|  2,763|  1,821|  1,828|  1,683|  1,713|    137|    115|   7.5 |   6.3 | 5.7  -   6.9
     Virginia.......................|  4,856|  4,930|  3,372|  3,422|  3,203|  3,255|    168|    167|   5.0 |   4.9 | 4.4  -   5.4
     West Virginia..................|  1,436|  1,443|    789|    788|    704|    717|     85|     70|  10.8 |   8.9 | 8.1  -   9.7
                                    |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
   East South Central...............| 11,959| 12,112|  7,504|  7,776|  7,026|  7,345|    479|    431|   6.4 |   5.5 | 5.2  -   5.8
     Alabama........................|  3,195|  3,228|  1,993|  2,031|  1,843|  1,909|    149|    122|   7.5 |   6.0 | 5.4  -   6.6
     Kentucky.......................|  2,894|  2,926|  1,801|  1,825|  1,690|  1,727|    111|     98|   6.2 |   5.4 | 4.8  -   6.0
     Mississippi....................|  1,951|  1,977|  1,214|  1,255|  1,137|  1,172|     77|     83|   6.3 |   6.6 | 6.0  -   7.2
     Tennessee......................|  3,919|  3,981|  2,496|  2,665|  2,355|  2,537|    141|    127|   5.7 |   4.8 | 4.3  -   5.3
                                    |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
   West South Central...............| 20,677| 21,001| 13,701| 14,071| 12,759| 13,157|    943|    915|   6.9 |   6.5 | 6.2  -   6.8
     Arkansas.......................|  1,839|  1,864|  1,162|  1,207|  1,090|  1,142|     71|     65|   6.2 |   5.3 | 4.7  -   5.9
     Louisiana......................|  3,145|  3,169|  1,883|  1,939|  1,744|  1,783|    139|    156|   7.4 |   8.0 | 7.2  -   8.8
     Oklahoma.......................|  2,404|  2,421|  1,525|  1,540|  1,433|  1,451|     92|     90|   6.0 |   5.8 | 5.2  -   6.4
     Texas..........................| 13,289| 13,547|  9,140|  9,384|  8,499|  8,780|    641|    604|   7.0 |   6.4 | 6.1  -   6.7
                                    |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
 West...............................| 41,789| 42,379| 27,811| 28,494| 25,606| 26,431|  2,205|  2,063|   7.9 |   7.2 | 7.0  -   7.4
   Mountain.........................| 10,908| 11,238|  7,352|  7,785|  6,922|  7,373|    430|    412|   5.8 |   5.3 | 5.0  -   5.6
     Arizona........................|  2,945|  3,035|  1,830|  1,988|  1,717|  1,862|    113|    126|   6.2 |   6.4 | 5.7  -   7.1
     Colorado.......................|  2,679|  2,754|  1,899|  1,996|  1,801|  1,912|     99|     84|   5.2 |   4.2 | 3.7  -   4.7
     Idaho..........................|    803|    830|    548|    591|    514|    558|     34|     33|   6.1 |   5.6 | 5.0  -   6.2
     Montana........................|    627|    640|    426|    437|    400|    415|     26|     22|   6.0 |   5.1 | 4.4  -   5.8
     Nevada.........................|  1,056|  1,110|    740|    779|    686|    731|     53|     48|   7.2 |   6.2 | 5.6  -   6.8
     New Mexico.....................|  1,182|  1,207|    754|    770|    697|    722|     56|     48|   7.5 |   6.3 | 5.6  -   7.0
     Utah...........................|  1,271|  1,312|    917|    975|    882|    938|     35|     36|   3.9 |   3.7 | 3.2  -   4.2
     Wyoming........................|    345|    350|    241|    250|    228|    236|     13|     13|   5.4 |   5.3 | 4.6  -   6.0
                                    |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
   Pacific..........................| 30,881| 31,141| 20,459| 20,709| 18,684| 19,058|  1,776|  1,652|   8.7 |   8.0 | 7.8  -   8.2
     Alaska.........................|    403|    411|    297|    305|    274|    281|     23|     24|   7.6 |   7.8 | 6.9  -   8.7
     California.....................| 23,342| 23,464| 15,295| 15,470| 13,885| 14,141|  1,410|  1,330|   9.2 |   8.6 | 8.3  -   8.9
     Hawaii.........................|    847|    856|    578|    583|    554|    548|     24|     35|   4.2 |   6.1 | 5.4  -   6.8
     Oregon.........................|  2,339|  2,386|  1,595|  1,643|  1,480|  1,554|    115|     89|   7.2 |   5.4 | 4.8  -   6.0
     Washington.....................|  3,950|  4,024|  2,700|  2,708|  2,496|  2,534|    203|    174|   7.5 |   6.4 | 5.7  -   7.1
                                    |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
 Puerto Rico3/......................|  2,582|  2,635|  1,210|  1,202|  1,004|  1,027|    206|    175|  17.0 |  14.6 |     (4)
                                    |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
    1/  Error ranges are shown at the 90-percent confidence
 level.
    2/  Because of separate processing and weighting proce-
 dures, totals for the United States differ from the results
 obtained by aggregating the data for regions, divisions, or
 states.  Moreover, due to independent population adjustments,
 data for geographic components may not add to totals for
 larger geographic areas.
    3/  The source of these data is the Employment Security
 Agency of Puerto Rico.
    4/  Not available.
    NOTE:  Sub-national data incorporate updated 1990 census-
 based population controls, adjusted for the estimated under-
 count.  Data back to 1990 have been revised.  Data for 1994
 are not fully comparable with data for 1993 and prior years.
 For additional information, see  "Revisions in State and
 Area Estimates Effective January 1994" in the March 1995
 issue of Employment and Earnings.