Technical information:  (202) 691-6392     USDL 04-289
               http://www.bls.gov/lau/
                                           For release:  10:00 A.M. EST
Media contact:                691-5902     Friday, February 27, 2004


           STATE AND REGIONAL UNEMPLOYMENT, 2003 ANNUAL AVERAGES
   
   
   Annual average unemployment rates edged up in three regions and rose in
about two-thirds of the states in 2003.  Meanwhile, employment-population
ratios again declined in all four regions and in the majority of states,
the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported
today.  At the national level, the jobless rate edged up by 0.2 percentage
point to 6.0 percent, while the employment-population ratio declined by 0.4
percentage point to 62.3 percent.
   
Regional Unemployment
   
   Among the four regions, the Midwest experienced the largest jobless rate
increase from 2002 (+0.4 percentage point), the Northeast and South both re-
corded smaller increases (+0.2 point each), and the West reported no rate
change from the year before.  For the 12th consecutive year, the West regi-
stered the highest regional unemployment rate, 6.5 percent.  The Northeast 
and South each reported the lowest jobless rate, 5.8 percent, little dif-
ferent from the 5.9 percent rate in the Midwest.  The range between the 
highest and lowest regional rates narrowed from 1.0 percentage point in 2002 
to 0.7 point last year, despite generally higher rates.
   
   In 2003, the New England and West South Central divisions posted the
largest annual unemployment rate increases (+0.6 percentage point each),
followed by the East North Central and West North Central divisions (+0.4
point each) and the East South Central (+0.3 point).  For the 12th year in
a row, the Pacific division reported the highest unemployment rate, 6.9 per-
cent.  The next highest rate was recorded in the West South Central division, 
6.6 percent.  The West North Central division, at 5.0 percent, posted the 
lowest rate for the second consecutive year, followed by the South Atlantic 
and New England divisions, at 5.2 and 5.4 percent, respectively.
   
State Unemployment
   
   Annual average unemployment rates rose in 34 states and the District of
Columbia from 2002 to 2003, declined in 11 states, and were unchanged in 5
states.  The largest rate increases were in Connecticut and Oklahoma (+1.2
percentage points each), Michigan (+1.1 points), and New Mexico (+1.0 point).  
Thirteen additional states and the District of Columbia registered over-the-
year rate increases of at least one-half percentage point.  All four states 
in the West South Central division and four of the six states in New England 
recorded increases of 0.5 percentage point or greater.  Arizona reported the 
largest annual unemployment rate decline from 2002 (-0.6 percentage point), 
followed closely by Mississippi and Utah (-0.5 point each).  The Mountain 
division had the largest number of states reporting annual average unemploy-
ment rate decreases in 2003, as four of its eight states had declines, rang-
ing from 0.3 to 0.6 percentage point.  (See table 1.)
   
                                  - 2 -

   States in the Pacific division continued to record the highest jobless
rates in the nation in 2003:  Oregon, 8.2 percent, Alaska, 8.0 percent, and
Washington, 7.5 percent.  The lowest jobless rates for the year were reported 
in three West North Central states--South Dakota, 3.6 percent, and Nebraska 
and North Dakota, 4.0 percent each.  Overall, 32 states had unemployment 
rates below the national average of 6.0 percent, 17 states and the District 
of Columbia had rates above it, and one state had a rate equal to it.  All 
seven states in the West North Central division and all six in New England 
posted rates below that of the Nation.  In contrast, four of the five Pacific 
states and three of the four West South Central states recorded rates above 
the U.S. figure.  

Regional Employment-Population Ratios
   
   All four regions recorded declines in their annual employment-population
ratios--the proportion of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 years
and over with a job.  The Northeast posted the largest over-the-year decline 
(-0.8 percentage point), followed by the West (-0.6 point).  The Midwest 
(64.6 percent) and West (62.4 percent) continued to report employment-popula-
tion ratios above the U.S. average of 62.3 percent in 2003, while the North-
east (61.1 percent) and South (61.3 percent) had ratios below it.
   
   Of the nine geographic divisions, the Middle Atlantic, New England, and
Pacific registered the largest decreases in their employment-population
ratios from 2002 (-0.8 percentage point each).  The next largest decrease
was in the West North Central division (-0.5 percentage point).  The other
five divisions had smaller annual average declines.  The West North Central
division, which in recent years has had high levels of agricultural employ-
ment and part-time workers, again recorded the highest employment-population 
ratio (68.2 percent).  The East South Central division continued to have the 
lowest proportion of employed persons (59.1 percent).
   
State Employment-Population Ratios
   
   In 2003, 29 states posted declines in their proportion of employed
persons from 2002, 18 states reported increases, and 3 states and the
District of Columbia had no change.  The largest employment-population
ratio drop from 2002 was recorded in Iowa (-2.9 percentage points).
Arkansas reported the second largest decrease (-1.7 points).  Ten
additional states had declines of at least 1.0 percentage point, and 
10 others had decreases of one-half point or more.  Four states report-
ed increases in employment-population ratios of more than a full percent-
age point for the year:  Rhode Island (+1.4 points), Alabama and Wyoming 
(+1.2 points each), and Georgia (+1.1 points).  Another seven states post-
ed increases of at least 0.5 percentage point from 2002.  (See table 2.)
   
   West Virginia continued to have the lowest employment-population ratio
among all states in 2003, 51.3 percent, a decline of 1.3 percentage points
from the previous year.  Louisiana had the next lowest ratio, 56.9 percent.
Overall, 8 of the 10 states with employment-population ratios below 60 per-
cent were located in the South.  Minnesota continued to report the highest 
proportion of employed persons, 71.3 percent, despite a decline of 1.1 per-
centage points from 2002.  Two other Midwestern states--Nebraska and South 
Dakota--registered the next highest ratios, 71.1 percent each, and were the 
only other states with ratios over 70.0 percent.  Thirty states recorded em-
ployment-population ratios higher than the U.S. figure of 62.3 percent, while 
20 states and the District of Columbia posted lower ratios.  All states in 
the New England and West North Central divisions again had employment-popu-
lation ratios above that of the Nation, while all states in the Middle 
Atlantic and East South Central divisions continued to have ratios below it.
   
                                  - 3 -

   NOTE:  All estimates presented in this release, except those for Puerto
Rico, were derived from the Current Population Survey, a sample survey con-
ducted monthly for the Bureau of Labor Statistics by the U.S. Census Bureau.  
A description of the survey and information about the reliability of the 
state estimates appear in Geographic Profile of Employment and Unemployment, 
2002, Bulletin 2564, available on the Internet at http://stats.bls.gov/opub/
gp/laugp.htm.  Annual averages for regions, divisions, states, and the 
District of Columbia, shown in tables 1 and 2, reflect updated Census 2000-
based population controls.  Data for Puerto Rico are not included in the U.S. 
totals.
   
   The length of the annual series varies by state and ranges from 28 to 34
years.  The region and division annual series begin in 1976.
   
   Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired
individuals upon request.  Voice phone:  202-691-5200; TDD message referral
phone number:  1-800-877-8339.
    
 
 
 

Table 1.  Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 years of age and over by region, division, and state, 
2002-03 annual averages
 
(Numbers in thousands)
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                    
                                    Population      Civilian labor       Employed         Unemployed     Unemployment               
                                                        force                                                rate     Error range of
  Region, division, and state                                                                                         rate, 2003 (1)
                                                                                                                                    
                                  2002     2003     2002     2003     2002     2003      2002     2003    2002   2003                
                                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                                    
     United States (2).........  217,570  221,168  144,863  146,510  136,485  137,736    8,378    8,774    5.8    6.0  5.9   -   6.1
                                                                                                                                    
Northeast......................   41,960   42,264   27,531   27,415   25,984   25,815    1,547    1,599    5.6    5.8  5.6   -   6.0
   New England.................   11,007   11,092    7,548    7,554    7,182    7,145      366      409    4.8    5.4  5.1   -   5.7
      Connecticut..............    2,651    2,680    1,792    1,803    1,714    1,704       78       99    4.3    5.5  5.0   -   6.0
      Maine....................    1,025    1,039      680      693      650      658       30       35    4.4    5.1  4.6   -   5.6
      Massachusetts............    5,018    5,028    3,467    3,416    3,283    3,217      184      198    5.3    5.8  5.3   -   6.3
      New Hampshire............      990    1,005      706      719      673      688       33       31    4.7    4.3  3.9   -   4.7
      Rhode Island.............      835      844      553      573      525      543       28       30    5.1    5.3  4.8   -   5.8
      Vermont..................      489      494      349      351      336      335       13       16    3.7    4.6  4.2   -   5.0
                                                                                                                                    
   Middle Atlantic.............   30,953   31,173   19,984   19,860   18,803   18,671    1,181    1,190    5.9    6.0  5.8   -   6.2
      New Jersey...............    6,563    6,619    4,353    4,375    4,099    4,118      254      257    5.8    5.9  5.5   -   6.3
      New York.................   14,789   14,891    9,345    9,315    8,773    8,726      572      589    6.1    6.3  6.0   -   6.6
      Pennsylvania.............    9,601    9,663    6,286    6,170    5,930    5,826      356      344    5.7    5.6  5.2   -   6.0
                                                                                                                                    
Midwest........................   49,563   49,929   34,099   34,291   32,222   32,267    1,878    2,024    5.5    5.9  5.7   -   6.1
   East North Central..........   34,723   34,963   23,411   23,553   22,025   22,063    1,386    1,491    5.9    6.3  6.1   -   6.5
      Illinois.................    9,510    9,583    6,369    6,330    5,955    5,908      414      422    6.5    6.7  6.3   -   7.1
      Indiana..................    4,648    4,679    3,170    3,188    3,007    3,024      163      163    5.1    5.1  4.6   -   5.6
      Michigan.................    7,650    7,706    5,001    5,042    4,691    4,674      310      368    6.2    7.3  6.8   -   7.8
      Ohio.....................    8,729    8,771    5,847    5,915    5,515    5,552      332      363    5.7    6.1  5.7   -   6.5
      Wisconsin................    4,186    4,224    3,025    3,078    2,858    2,905      167      174    5.5    5.6  5.0   -   6.2
                                                                                                                                    
   West North Central..........   14,841   14,966   10,689   10,737   10,196   10,204      492      533    4.6    5.0  4.7   -   5.3
      Iowa.....................    2,271    2,286    1,663    1,612    1,596    1,540       67       72    4.0    4.5  4.0   -   5.0
      Kansas...................    2,035    2,049    1,410    1,434    1,338    1,357       72       77    5.1    5.4  4.9   -   5.9
      Minnesota................    3,851    3,896    2,915    2,923    2,787    2,778      128      145    4.4    5.0  4.5   -   5.5
      Missouri.................    4,318    4,352    2,982    3,021    2,818    2,850      164      170    5.5    5.6  5.1   -   6.1
      Nebraska.................    1,305    1,318      956      976      921      937       34       39    3.6    4.0  3.5   -   4.5
      North Dakota.............      489      490      344      346      330      333       14       14    4.0    4.0  3.5   -   4.5
      South Dakota.............      571      576      419      425      406      410       13       15    3.1    3.6  3.2   -   4.0
                                                                                                                                    
South..........................   77,583   78,692   50,551   51,228   47,711   48,277    2,840    2,951    5.6    5.8  5.6   -   6.0
   South Atlantic..............   40,706   41,345   26,642   26,995   25,218   25,586    1,424    1,409    5.3    5.2  5.0   -   5.4
      Delaware.................      617      625      420      417      402      399       18       18    4.2    4.4  3.9   -   4.9
      District of Columbia.....      458      454      303      302      284      281       19       21    6.4    7.0  6.3   -   7.7
      Florida..................   12,943   13,211    8,095    8,164    7,653    7,744      443      420    5.5    5.1  4.8   -   5.4
      Georgia..................    6,318    6,431    4,280    4,414    4,060    4,207      220      207    5.1    4.7  4.2   -   5.2
      Maryland.................    4,124    4,181    2,897    2,904    2,771    2,773      126      131    4.4    4.5  4.0   -   5.0
      North Carolina...........    6,254    6,328    4,166    4,230    3,885    3,957      281      273    6.7    6.5  6.0   -   7.0
      South Carolina...........    3,105    3,142    1,944    2,003    1,828    1,866      116      136    6.0    6.8  6.2   -   7.4
      Virginia.................    5,451    5,532    3,733    3,773    3,581    3,620      152      154    4.1    4.1  3.6   -   4.6
      West Virginia............    1,435    1,442      804      787      755      739       49       48    6.1    6.1  5.5   -   6.7
                                                                                                                                    
   East South Central..........   13,126   13,235    8,248    8,325    7,778    7,828      470      497    5.7    6.0  5.7   -   6.3
      Alabama..................    3,419    3,442    2,095    2,147    1,971    2,023      124      125    5.9    5.8  5.2   -   6.4
      Kentucky.................    3,129    3,153    1,932    1,956    1,824    1,836      108      120    5.6    6.2  5.6   -   6.8
      Mississippi..............    2,126    2,138    1,292    1,312    1,204    1,229       88       83    6.8    6.3  5.6   -   7.0
      Tennessee................    4,451    4,501    2,928    2,909    2,779    2,740      150      169    5.1    5.8  5.2   -   6.4
                                                                                                                                    
   West South Central..........   23,752   24,112   15,661   15,908   14,715   14,863      946    1,045    6.0    6.6  6.3   -   6.9
      Arkansas.................    2,054    2,071    1,281    1,265    1,212    1,186       70       78    5.4    6.2  5.5   -   6.9
      Louisiana................    3,324    3,348    1,998    2,037    1,876    1,904      123      134    6.1    6.6  5.9   -   7.3
      Oklahoma.................    2,622    2,646    1,695    1,696    1,618    1,600       76       96    4.5    5.7  5.0   -   6.4
      Texas....................   15,753   16,047   10,686   10,910   10,009   10,173      677      738    6.3    6.8  6.4   -   7.2
                                                                                                                                    
West...........................   48,903   49,792   32,948   33,245   30,813   31,070    2,135    2,176    6.5    6.5  6.3   -   6.7
   Mountain....................   14,137   14,433    9,693    9,837    9,135    9,281      558      556    5.8    5.7  5.4   -   6.0
      Arizona..................    4,027    4,131    2,667    2,690    2,503    2,539      165      151    6.2    5.6  5.0   -   6.2
      Colorado.................    3,393    3,440    2,437    2,478    2,298    2,328      140      150    5.7    6.0  5.5   -   6.5
      Idaho....................      991    1,013      686      693      646      655       40       37    5.8    5.4  4.8   -   6.0
      Montana..................      705      714      464      475      442      452       21       22    4.6    4.7  4.1   -   5.3
      Nevada...................    1,626    1,686    1,129    1,141    1,066    1,082       62       59    5.5    5.2  4.7   -   5.7
      New Mexico...............    1,378    1,401      875      897      828      840       48       57    5.4    6.4  5.7   -   7.1
      Utah.....................    1,634    1,660    1,165    1,184    1,094    1,118       71       67    6.1    5.6  5.0   -   6.2
      Wyoming..................      383      387      270      278      259      266       11       12    4.2    4.4  3.9   -   4.9
                                                                                                                                    
   Pacific.....................   34,766   35,359   23,256   23,409   21,678   21,789    1,577    1,620    6.8    6.9  6.6   -   7.2
      Alaska...................      450      459      324      332      299      305       25       27    7.7    8.0  7.3   -   8.7
      California...............   26,040   26,490   17,376   17,460   16,215   16,283    1,161    1,177    6.7    6.7  6.4   -   7.0
      Hawaii...................      927      944      606      618      581      592       26       27    4.2    4.3  3.8   -   4.8
      Oregon...................    2,726    2,770    1,840    1,859    1,701    1,707      139      152    7.5    8.2  7.5   -   8.9
      Washington...............    4,624    4,697    3,109    3,140    2,883    2,903      227      237    7.3    7.5  6.8   -   8.2
                                                                                                                                    
Puerto Rico (3)................    2,934    2,980    1,356    1,393    1,190    1,226      166      167   12.3   12.0       (4)     

  1 Error ranges are shown at the 90-percent confidence level.
  2 Because of separate processing and weighting procedures, totals for the United States differ from the results obtained by aggregating
data for regions, divisions, or states.
  3 The source of these data is the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources.
  4 Not available.
  NOTE:  Region and division data are derived from summing the component states.  Sub-national data except for Puerto Rico incorporate updated
Census 2000-based population controls.  Historical data except for Puerto Rico have been revised.
      
 
 
 

Table 2.  Employment-population ratio of persons 16 years of age and over by region, division, and
state, 2002-03 annual averages

(Percent)
                                                                                             
                                                                                             
                                   Employment-population                                        
                                           ratio          Over-the-        Error range of       
  Region, division, and state                               year    employment-population ratio,
                                                           change             2003 (1)          
                                      2002       2003                                           
                                                                                             
                                                                                                           
                                                                                             
     United States ............       62.7       62.3        -.4       62.1    -         62.5
                                                                                             
Northeast......................       61.9       61.1        -.8       60.7    -         61.5
   New England.................       65.2       64.4        -.8       63.7    -         65.1
      Connecticut..............       64.7       63.6       -1.1       62.1    -         65.1
      Maine....................       63.5       63.3        -.2       61.9    -         64.7
      Massachusetts............       65.4       64.0       -1.4       62.7    -         65.3
      New Hampshire............       68.0       68.5         .5       67.2    -         69.8
      Rhode Island.............       62.9       64.3        1.4       63.2    -         65.4
      Vermont..................       68.6       67.7        -.9       66.4    -         69.0
                                                                                             
   Middle Atlantic.............       60.7       59.9        -.8       59.4    -         60.4
      New Jersey...............       62.5       62.2        -.3       61.2    -         63.2
      New York.................       59.3       58.6        -.7       57.8    -         59.4
      Pennsylvania.............       61.8       60.3       -1.5       59.4    -         61.2
                                                                                             
Midwest........................       65.0       64.6        -.4       64.1    -         65.1
   East North Central..........       63.4       63.1        -.3       62.5    -         63.7
      Illinois.................       62.6       61.6       -1.0       60.6    -         62.6
      Indiana..................       64.7       64.6        -.1       63.2    -         66.0
      Michigan.................       61.3       60.7        -.6       59.5    -         61.9
      Ohio.....................       63.2       63.3         .1       62.0    -         64.6
      Wisconsin................       68.3       68.8         .5       67.3    -         70.3
                                                                                             
   West North Central..........       68.7       68.2        -.5       67.5    -         68.9
      Iowa.....................       70.3       67.4       -2.9       66.1    -         68.7
      Kansas...................       65.8       66.2         .4       64.5    -         67.9
      Minnesota................       72.4       71.3       -1.1       69.8    -         72.8
      Missouri.................       65.2       65.5         .3       63.7    -         67.3
      Nebraska.................       70.6       71.1         .5       69.7    -         72.5
      North Dakota.............       67.5       67.9         .4       66.0    -         69.8
      South Dakota.............       71.1       71.1         .0       69.4    -         72.8
                                                                                             
South..........................       61.5       61.3        -.2       60.9    -         61.7
   South Atlantic..............       62.0       61.9        -.1       61.4    -         62.4
      Delaware.................       65.1       63.8       -1.3       62.3    -         65.3
      District of Columbia.....       61.9       61.9         .0       60.4    -         63.4
      Florida..................       59.1       58.6        -.5       57.6    -         59.6
      Georgia..................       64.3       65.4        1.1       64.0    -         66.8
      Maryland.................       67.2       66.3        -.9       64.9    -         67.7
      North Carolina...........       62.1       62.5         .4       61.1    -         63.9
      South Carolina...........       58.9       59.4         .5       58.0    -         60.8
      Virginia.................       65.7       65.4        -.3       63.6    -         67.2
      West Virginia............       52.6       51.3       -1.3       49.6    -         53.0
                                                                                             
   East South Central..........       59.3       59.1        -.2       58.2    -         60.0
      Alabama..................       57.6       58.8        1.2       57.1    -         60.5
      Kentucky.................       58.3       58.2        -.1       56.3    -         60.1
      Mississippi..............       56.6       57.5         .9       55.7    -         59.3
      Tennessee................       62.4       60.9       -1.5       59.2    -         62.6
                                                                                             
   West South Central..........       62.0       61.6        -.4       60.8    -         62.4
      Arkansas.................       59.0       57.3       -1.7       55.8    -         58.8
      Louisiana................       56.4       56.9         .5       55.1    -         58.7
      Oklahoma.................       61.7       60.5       -1.2       58.9    -         62.1
      Texas....................       63.5       63.4        -.1       62.4    -         64.4
                                                                                             
West...........................       63.0       62.4        -.6       62.0    -         62.8
   Mountain....................       64.6       64.3        -.3       63.6    -         65.0
      Arizona..................       62.2       61.5        -.7       59.9    -         63.1
      Colorado.................       67.7       67.7         .0       66.0    -         69.4
      Idaho....................       65.2       64.6        -.6       62.8    -         66.4
      Montana..................       62.7       63.3         .6       61.4    -         65.2
      Nevada...................       65.6       64.2       -1.4       62.8    -         65.6
      New Mexico...............       60.0       59.9        -.1       58.1    -         61.7
      Utah.....................       66.9       67.3         .4       65.5    -         69.1
      Wyoming..................       67.6       68.8        1.2       67.2    -         70.4
                                                                                             
   Pacific.....................       62.4       61.6        -.8       61.1    -         62.1
      Alaska...................       66.4       66.5         .1       64.1    -         68.9
      California...............       62.3       61.5        -.8       60.9    -         62.1
      Hawaii...................       62.7       62.7         .0       61.4    -         64.0
      Oregon...................       62.4       61.6        -.8       60.2    -         63.0
      Washington...............       62.3       61.8        -.5       60.4    -         63.2
                                                                                             
Puerto Rico (2)................       40.6       41.1         .5              (3)            

       1 Error ranges are shown at the 90-percent confidence level.
       2 The source of these data is the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources.
       3 Not available.
       NOTE:  Region and division data are derived from summing the component states.  Sub-national data
     except for Puerto Rico incorporate updated Census 2000-based population controls.  Historical data
     except for Puerto Rico have been revised.