Vermont's unemployment rate ticked up one-tenth to 4.1 percent in May over the April rate. Vermont has the fourth lowest unemployment rate in the nation; it was third lowest in April. Vermont also continued to see a decrease in jobs, following a year-to-year trend in which the number of employed, unemployed and total workforce are all down. On a month-to-month basis this time, however, the number of unemployed actually increased; this does not include the recent IBM layoffs that occurred in June. The labor force also increased from April. The US unemployment rate was 7.6 percent, up one-tenth from April.
Annie M Noonan, the Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Labor, said in a statement: "The Vermont unemployment numbers in May increased very slightly, mirroring the national trend as individuals without jobs resumed looking for work, which results in an increase in the unemployment rate. The recent news of the IBM layoffs is not reflected in the slight rate increase. In response to the layoff announcement, the Vermont Department of Labor is mobilizing outreach services to the dislocated workers to ensure as smooth of a transition as possible to new employment opportunities. All job seekers are encouraged to visit one of the Department of Labor Career Resource Centers to inquire about re-employment activities."
The seasonally adjusted Vermont data for May show the Vermont civilian labor force increased by 250 from the prior month estimates. The number of employed decreased by 200 and the number of unemployed increased by 450. No over-the-month changes were statistically significant.
May unemployment rates for Vermont’s 17 labor market areas ranged from 2.8 percent in Hartford to 5.9 percent in Newport (note: local labor market area unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted). For comparison, the May unadjusted unemployment rate for Vermont was 4.2 percent which reflects a decline of four-tenths of a percent from the April level and a decline of five-tenths of a percent from a year ago.
Not Seasonally Adjusted
The preliminary ‘not-seasonally-adjusted’jobs estimates for May show an increase of 1,600 jobs when compared to the revised April numbers. This reported over-the-month change does not include the 950 job increase between the preliminary and the revised April estimates due to the inclusion of more data. The monthly increase seen in the May numbers was predominately attributable to seasonal increases in the Construction industry. The broader economic trends can be detected by focusing on the over-the-year changes in this data series. As detailed in the preliminary ‘not seasonally adjusted’May data, Total Private industries have increased by 1.5 percent (3,650 jobs) and Government has decreased by 0.1 percent (-50 jobs) within the last year.
Seasonally Adjusted
The seasonally adjusted data for May reports a decrease of 2,000 jobs from the revised April data.
As with the ‘not-seasonally-adjusted’data, this over-the-month change is from the revised April numbers which experienced an 800 job increase from the preliminary estimates. The seasonally adjusted over-the-month changes in May were mixed at the sectorial level. Those with a notable percent increase include: Construction (500 jobs or 3.7 percent), Professional & Business Services (600 jobs or 2.3 percent) and Financial Activities (200 jobs or 1.7 percent). Sectors with notable percent declines include: State Government (-1,500 jobs or -8.7 percent), Transportation & Utilities (-1,200 jobs or -2.1 percent) and Leisure & Hospitality (-600 jobs or -1.7 percent).
Unemployment Rates for States
Unemployment Rates for StatesMonthly RankingsSeasonally AdjustedMay 2013p
RankStateRate
1
NORTH DAKOTA
3.2
2
NEBRASKA
3.8
3
SOUTH DAKOTA
4.0
4
VERMONT
4.1
5
IOWA
4.6
5
UTAH
4.6
5
WYOMING
4.6
8
HAWAII
4.7
9
OKLAHOMA
5.0
10
MINNESOTA
5.3
10
NEW HAMPSHIRE
5.3
10
VIRGINIA
5.3
13
MONTANA
5.4
14
KANSAS
5.7
15
ALASKA
5.9
16
IDAHO
6.2
16
WEST VIRGINIA
6.2
18
TEXAS
6.5
19
MASSACHUSETTS
6.6
20
MARYLAND
6.7
20
NEW MEXICO
6.7
22
ALABAMA
6.8
22
LOUISIANA
6.8
22
MAINE
6.8
22
MISSOURI
6.8
22
WASHINGTON
6.8
27
COLORADO
6.9
28
OHIO
7.0
28
WISCONSIN
7.0
30
FLORIDA
7.1
31
DELAWARE
7.2
32
ARKANSAS
7.3
33
PENNSYLVANIA
7.5
34
NEW YORK
7.6
35
ARIZONA
7.8
35
OREGON
7.8
37
CONNECTICUT
8.0
37
SOUTH CAROLINA
8.0
39
KENTUCKY
8.1
40
GEORGIA
8.3
40
INDIANA
8.3
40
TENNESSEE
8.3
43
MICHIGAN
8.4
44
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
8.5
45
CALIFORNIA
8.6
45
NEW JERSEY
8.6
47
NORTH CAROLINA
8.8
48
RHODE ISLAND
8.9
49
ILLINOIS
9.1
49
MISSISSIPPI
9.1
51
NEVADA
9.5
p = preliminary. According to the US Department of Labor, regional and state unemployment rates were little changed in May. Twenty-five states had
unemployment rate decreases, 17 states had increases, and 8 states and the District of
Columbia had no change, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Forty-one
states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier,
four states had increases, and five states had no change. The national jobless rate was
essentially unchanged from April at 7.6 percent but was 0.6 percentage point lower than
in May 2012.
In May 2013, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 33 states and the District of Columbia
and decreased in 17 states. The largest over-the-month increases in employment occurred
in Ohio (+32,100), Texas (+19,500), and Michigan (+18,100). The largest over-the-month
decrease in employment occurred in Pennsylvania (-9,200), followed by South Carolina
(-7,700) and Florida (-6,200). Nebraska, Ohio, and South Dakota had the largest over-the-
month percentage increases in employment (+0.6 percent each). Alaska (-1.3 percent) and
Vermont (-0.7 percent) had the largest over-the-month percentage declines in employment.
Over the year, nonfarm employment increased in 48 states and the District of Columbia
and decreased in 2 states. The largest over-the-year percentage increases occurred in
North Dakota (+3.2 percent) and Texas (+3.0 percent). The two over-the-year percentage
decreases in employment occurred in Alaska (-1.3 percent) and Wyoming (-0.6 percent).
Regional Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)
In May, the West continued to have the highest regional unemployment rate, 7.8 percent,
while the Midwest and South had the lowest rates, 7.2 percent each. Over the month, the
West had the only statistically significant unemployment rate change (-0.2 percentage
point). Significant over-the-year rate changes occurred in three regions: the West
(-1.6 percentage points), Northeast (-0.7 point), and South (-0.6 point). (See table 1.)
Among the nine geographic divisions, the Pacific continued to have the highest jobless
rate, 8.2 percent in May. The West North Central again had the lowest rate, 5.4 percent.
The Pacific had the only statistically significant over-the-month unemployment rate
change (-0.3 percentage point). Four divisions had significant rate changes from a year
earlier: the Pacific (-1.8 percentage points), Mountain (-1.0 point), South Atlantic
(-0.9 point), and Middle Atlantic (-0.8 point).
State Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)
Nevada had the highest unemployment rate among the states in May, 9.5 percent. The next
highest rates were in Illinois and Mississippi, 9.1 percent each. North Dakota again had
the lowest jobless rate, 3.2 percent. In total, 21 states had jobless rates significantly
lower than the U.S. figure of 7.6 percent, 8 states and the District of Columbia had
measurably higher rates, and 21 states had rates that were not appreciably different from
that of the nation. (See tables A and 3.)
Six states had statistically significant over-the-month unemployment rate changes in May,
of which four were declines and two were increases. The significant decreases occurred
in California and West Virginia (-0.4 percentage point each) and Hawaii and New York
(-0.2 point each). The increases were in Tennessee (+0.3 percentage point) and Kansas
(+0.1 point). The remaining 44 states and the District of Columbia had jobless rates
that were not measurably different from those of a month earlier, though some had changes
that were at least as large numerically as the significant changes.
Fifteen states had statistically significant unemployment rate changes from May 2012,
all of which were declines. The largest of these occurred in California (-2.1 percentage
points) and Nevada (-2.0 points). (See table B.)
Nonfarm Payroll Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)
In May 2013, 11 states had statistically significant over-the-month changes in employment,
7 of which were increases. The largest statistically significant job gains occurred in
Ohio (+32,100), Michigan (+18,100), and New Jersey (+14,300). The largest statistically
significant job decreases occurred in South Carolina (-7,700), Arkansas (-5,900), and
Alaska (-4,200). (See table C.)
Over the year, 31 states had statistically significant changes in employment, all of
which were positive. The largest over-the-year job increase occurred in Texas (+324,700),
followed by California (+252,100) and Florida (+122,500). (See table D.)
Table A. States with unemployment rates significantly different
from that of the U.S., May 2013, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------
State | Rate(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------
United States (1) ...................| 7.6
|
Alaska ..............................| 5.9
California ..........................| 8.6
District of Columbia ................| 8.5
Georgia .............................| 8.3
Hawaii ..............................| 4.7
Idaho ...............................| 6.2
Illinois ............................| 9.1
Iowa ................................| 4.6
Kansas ..............................| 5.7
Maine ...............................| 6.8
|
Maryland ............................| 6.7
Massachusetts .......................| 6.6
Minnesota ...........................| 5.3
Mississippi .........................| 9.1
Montana .............................| 5.4
Nebraska ............................| 3.8
Nevada ..............................| 9.5
New Hampshire .......................| 5.3
New Jersey ..........................| 8.6
North Carolina ......................| 8.8
|
North Dakota ........................| 3.2
Oklahoma ............................| 5.0
Rhode Island ........................| 8.9
South Dakota ........................| 4.0
Texas ...............................| 6.5
Utah ................................| 4.6
Vermont .............................| 4.1
Virginia ............................| 5.3
West Virginia .......................| 6.2
Wyoming .............................| 4.6
--------------------------------------------------------------
1 Data are not preliminary.
p = preliminary.
Table B. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from May 2012 to May 2013, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rate |
|-----------|-----------| Over-the-year
State | May | May | change(p)
| 2012 | 2013(p) |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alaska .........................| 7.1 | 5.9 | -1.2
California .....................| 10.7 | 8.6 | -2.1
Colorado .......................| 8.2 | 6.9 | -1.3
Florida ........................| 8.8 | 7.1 | -1.7
Georgia ........................| 9.1 | 8.3 | -.8
Hawaii .........................| 6.1 | 4.7 | -1.4
Idaho ..........................| 7.3 | 6.2 | -1.1
Nevada .........................| 11.5 | 9.5 | -2.0
New Jersey .....................| 9.5 | 8.6 | -.9
New York .......................| 8.6 | 7.6 | -1.0
| | |
Rhode Island ...................| 10.6 | 8.9 | -1.7
South Carolina .................| 9.3 | 8.0 | -1.3
Utah ...........................| 5.8 | 4.6 | -1.2
Vermont ........................| 5.0 | 4.1 | -.9
Washington .....................| 8.4 | 6.8 | -1.6
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
p = preliminary.
Table C. States with statistically significant employment changes from
April 2013 to May 2013, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
| April | May | Over-the-month
State | 2013 | 2013(p) | change(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alaska .......................| 335,300 | 331,100 | -4,200
Arkansas .....................| 1,189,000 | 1,183,100 | -5,900
Kansas .......................| 1,365,500 | 1,370,300 | 4,800
Michigan .....................| 4,055,100 | 4,073,200 | 18,100
Nebraska .....................| 962,300 | 968,200 | 5,900
New Jersey ...................| 3,947,900 | 3,962,200 | 14,300
Ohio .........................| 5,181,800 | 5,213,900 | 32,100
South Carolina ...............| 1,881,800 | 1,874,100 | -7,700
South Dakota .................| 417,800 | 420,200 | 2,400
Vermont ......................| 307,100 | 305,100 | -2,000
Wisconsin ....................| 2,783,900 | 2,794,300 | 10,400
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
p = preliminary.
Table D. States with statistically significant employment changes from
May 2012 to May 2013, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
| May | May | Over-the-year
State | 2012 | 2013(p) | change(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arizona ......................| 2,448,900 | 2,498,800 | 49,900
California ...................| 14,360,400 | 14,612,500 | 252,100
Colorado .....................| 2,301,200 | 2,353,600 | 52,400
Delaware .....................| 418,300 | 425,100 | 6,800
Florida ......................| 7,388,700 | 7,511,200 | 122,500
Georgia ......................| 3,947,600 | 4,016,600 | 69,000
Idaho ........................| 620,900 | 637,400 | 16,500
Illinois .....................| 5,732,100 | 5,781,200 | 49,100
Indiana ......................| 2,895,600 | 2,937,000 | 41,400
Iowa .........................| 1,505,700 | 1,523,900 | 18,200
| | |
Louisiana ....................| 1,928,100 | 1,950,300 | 22,200
Maryland .....................| 2,573,200 | 2,608,800 | 35,600
Massachusetts ................| 3,264,000 | 3,313,600 | 49,600
Michigan .....................| 4,025,800 | 4,073,200 | 47,400
Minnesota ....................| 2,724,400 | 2,770,200 | 45,800
Mississippi ..................| 1,101,600 | 1,121,800 | 20,200
Missouri .....................| 2,662,700 | 2,693,200 | 30,500
Montana ......................| 440,700 | 447,200 | 6,500
Nevada .......................| 1,139,800 | 1,158,800 | 19,000
New Hampshire ................| 631,700 | 641,500 | 9,800
| | |
New Jersey ...................| 3,887,600 | 3,962,200 | 74,600
New York .....................| 8,801,700 | 8,897,100 | 95,400
North Carolina ...............| 3,985,600 | 4,041,900 | 56,300
North Dakota .................| 427,800 | 441,300 | 13,500
Oregon .......................| 1,637,900 | 1,663,600 | 25,700
South Dakota .................| 414,200 | 420,200 | 6,000
Tennessee ....................| 2,714,200 | 2,766,700 | 52,500
Texas ........................| 10,836,600 | 11,161,300 | 324,700
Utah .........................| 1,249,500 | 1,283,600 | 34,100
Virginia .....................| 3,717,700 | 3,765,900 | 48,200
Washington ...................| 2,866,300 | 2,919,200 | 52,900
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
p = preliminary.