Texas had the largest over-the-month job gain, while unemployment in all states remained stable or dropped in April, according to information reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In a summary of April, released this week, the labor department said Texas jobs increased by 62,800, up .5% from March. The state was followed by Florida, up 58,600, and California, up 41,400 from the previous month. According to the report, 11 states saw an uptick in job gains for April, while 39 states remained unchanged from March’s numbers.
Over the year, employment increased in 49 states and the District of Columbia. California had the most significant job gains for April, up 925,000, representing a 5.6% increase.
Texas followed with 742,000 and Florida with 517,100, each with a 5.9% increase from April 2021.
Nevada saw the largest percentage of job gains over the year with an 8% increase, the report said.
Delaware was the only state to remain unchanged in job gains over the year.
The national unemployment rate for April was 3.6%, unchanged from March’s figure. However, the department said the over-the-year unemployment rate is down 2.4% from April 2021, with all states experiencing decreases in jobless rates.
The labor department reported the over-the-month April unemployment rates dropped in 13 states and the District of Columbia and remained stable in 37 states.
Nebraska and Utah had the lowest unemployment rates, at 1.9% each for April, the report said. Those states joined eight others in setting a new series low for unemployment.
The other states include Alabama at 2.8%, Arizona at 3.2%, Idaho at 2.6%, Kentucky at 3.9%, Minnesota at 2.2%, Mississippi at 4.1%, South Dakota at 2.3%, and West Virginia at 3.6%.
For April, 18 states had unemployment rates lower than the national average, while 10 states and the District of Columbia had higher rates.
Texas’ unemployment rate for April was 4.3%, according to the department’s data. The District of Columbia had the highest unemployment rate at 5.8%.
The unemployment rate for 22 states hovered around the national average.
Maryland saw the largest over-the-month unemployment rate decrease for April at 0.4%. Iowa, Maine, and Minnesota saw significant rate decreases at 0.3% each.
The unemployment rate in Texas fell 0.1% from March.
Over the year, the unemployment rate in Texas went from 6.2% in April 2021 to 4.3% in April 2022, for a 1.9% drop. California saw the largest over-the-year unemployment rate decrease at 3.7%, while Nebraska saw the smallest decline at 0.7%.
The state employment and unemployment summary for May will be released on June 17.