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News Release Information

17-1330-BOS
Thursday, October 05, 2017

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (617) 565-4141

New England and State Unemployment — August 2017

The New England unemployment rate was little changed at 4.0 percent in August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Deborah A. Brown noted that New England’s jobless rate was essentially unchanged from a year ago when it was 3.9 percent. The national jobless rate was little changed from July at 4.4 percent but was 0.5 percentage point lower than in August 2016. (See chart 1.)

New England is one of nine geographic divisions nationwide. The Pacific division had the highest jobless rate in August, at 4.8 percent. The West North Central division had the lowest unemployment rate, at 3.5 percent. Unemployment rates in all divisions except for New England were down significantly over the year. The largest over-the-year declines were in the East South Central (-1.0 percentage point) and the South Atlantic (-0.7 point).

 

In August, three New England states had jobless rates that were significantly different from that of the nation. Maine (3.8 percent), Vermont (3.0 percent) and New Hampshire (2.7 percent) had significantly lower unemployment rates and were among 19 states in the country to do so. The remaining New England states were among the 25 states that had unemployment rates not appreciably different from that of the nation. Six states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rates measurably higher than the national average.

Over the month, no New England state had a significant over-the-year jobless rate change. Nationwide, eight states had unemployment rate increases, the largest of which was in Indiana (+0.4 percentage point), closely followed by California, New Jersey, Oregon, and West Virginia (+0.3 point each). Idaho had the only notable rate decrease (-0.1 percentage point). The New England states were among the 41 states and the District of Columbia that had unemployment 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.

Over the year, Rhode Island was the only New England state with a statistically significant unemployment rate change. Rhode Island (-1.0 percentage point) was among the 21 states with unemployment rate decreases from August 2016. South Dakota (+0.4 percentage point) had the only significant rate increase. The remaining New England states were among the 28 states and the District of Columbia that had jobless rates not appreciably different from those of a year earlier.

The State Employment and Unemployment news release for September 2017 is scheduled to be released on Friday, October 20, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).


Technical Note

This release presents civilian labor force and unemployment data from the Current Population Survey (CPS) and the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program. Estimates for the U.S. are obtained directly from the CPS, which is a sample survey of approximately 60,000 households nationwide that is conducted for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) by the Census Bureau. The LAUS program produces data for subnational areas, including the nine geographic divisions (New England, Middle Atlantic, South Atlantic, East South Central, West South Central, East North Central, West North Central, Mountain, and Pacific) and the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The LAUS data for geographic divisions and states are model-based. The models for geographic divisions use inputs from the CPS only, while the models for the states and the District of Columbia use inputs from the CPS in conjunction with estimates of nonfarm payroll employment from the Current Employment Statistics survey and counts of unemployment insurance claimants from the state workforce agencies. Each month, not-seasonally-adjusted estimates for geographic divisions are controlled to the national totals from the CPS, and state estimates are then controlled to the estimates for their divisions. Data for all states and the District of Columbia, are available in the State Employment and Unemployment release https://www.bls.gov/lau/news.htm issued monthly by BLS, while national statistics are highlighted in the Employment Situation https://www.bls.gov/cps/news.htm.

Labor force and unemployment data for prior years reflect adjustments made at the end of each year.  The adjusted estimates reflect updated population data from the U.S. Census Bureau, any revisions in the other data sources, and model re-estimation. In most years, historical data for the most recent five years (both seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted) are revised near the beginning of each calendar year, prior to or coincident with the release of January estimates.

Model-based error measures for seasonally adjusted data and for over-the-month and over-the-year changes are available online at https://www.bls.gov/lau/lastderr.htm. BLS uses a 90-percent confidence level in determining whether changes in LAUS unemployment rates are statistically significant. The average magnitude of the current year over-the-month change in a state unemployment rate that is required for statistical significance at the 90-percent confidence level is just over 0.2 percentage point; the average amount of the current over-the-year change in a state rate for significance is about 0.9 point. More details can be found on the website. Measures of nonsampling error are not available.

This information will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request.  Voice phone: (202) 691-5200, Federal Relay Services: (800)-877-8339.

Table 1. Labor force status for the United States, New England, and New England states, seasonally adjusted (Numbers in thousands)
AreaAug
2016
Sept
2016
Oct
2016
Nov
2016
Dec
2016
Jan
2017
Feb
2017
Mar
2017
Apr
2017
May
2017
June
2017
July
2017
Aug
2017

Connecticut

 

Civilian labor force

1,891.31,890.11,888.81,887.51,886.21,892.21,901.41,911.71,922.51,929.11,933.11,933.1(p)1,923.2

Employed

1,798.21,800.21,801.91,803.21,804.11,807.21,812.01,819.91,828.91,834.01,836.11,836.6(p)1,831.0

Unemployed

93.189.986.984.382.185.089.491.793.695.197.096.5(p)92.2

Unemployment rate

4.94.84.64.54.44.54.74.84.94.95.05.0(p)4.8

Maine

 

Civilian labor force

694.0694.7695.1695.2695.0696.2698.1700.6702.8703.3703.6704.7(p)705.0

Employed

666.2667.2667.9668.5668.9671.8675.7679.7681.9680.8678.9678.4(p)678.2

Unemployed

27.827.627.226.626.124.422.420.920.922.624.726.2(p)26.8

Unemployment rate

4.04.03.93.83.83.53.23.03.03.23.53.7(p)3.8

Massachusetts

 

Civilian labor force

3,586.63,586.13,585.43,584.53,583.53,599.33,626.83,661.23,694.23,711.13,708.83,697.7(p)3,680.4

Employed

3,463.73,467.43,470.23,472.23,473.43,485.53,503.33,529.93,551.13,555.83,548.43,537.0(p)3,526.2

Unemployed

122.9118.8115.2112.3110.1113.8123.4131.3143.2155.3160.4160.7(p)154.2

Unemployment rate

3.43.33.23.13.13.23.43.63.94.24.34.3(p)4.2

New Hampshire

 

Civilian labor force

750.0750.6751.0751.2751.3751.9752.0752.2753.0753.3753.5752.9(p)752.1

Employed

728.6729.4730.1730.5730.8731.6731.4731.2731.5731.4731.8732.1(p)732.1

Unemployed

21.421.220.920.720.520.220.621.021.421.921.720.8(p)20.0

Unemployment rate

2.92.82.82.82.72.72.72.82.82.92.92.8(p)2.7

Rhode Island

 

Civilian labor force

552.5552.2551.7551.1550.6551.0552.3554.1555.5555.8556.5557.0(p)556.4

Employed

523.0523.2523.3523.4523.3524.9527.3530.1531.6532.9533.2532.8(p)532.7

Unemployed

29.529.028.427.827.326.225.124.023.922.923.324.2(p)23.7

Unemployment rate

5.35.35.15.04.94.84.54.34.34.14.24.3(p)4.3

Vermont

 

Civilian labor force

345.2345.2345.2345.2345.1346.1346.8347.5347.3346.4344.8343.8(p)344.3

Employed

334.0334.1334.2334.2334.2335.4336.3336.9336.6335.5333.9333.2(p)333.8

Unemployed

11.211.111.011.010.910.610.510.610.711.010.910.6(p)10.4

Unemployment rate

3.23.23.23.23.23.13.03.03.13.23.23.1(p)3.0

New England

 

Civilian labor force

7,812.77,812.97,812.87,812.67,812.17,837.27,874.67,921.17,967.37,994.58,001.67,998.67,973.8

Employed

7,505.97,514.67,522.57,529.27,534.67,555.57,581.27,619.77,652.77,668.17,669.67,667.67,652.5

Unemployed

306.9298.3290.3283.3277.5281.7293.4301.3314.5326.4332.0331.0321.3

Unemployment rate

3.93.83.73.63.63.63.73.83.94.14.14.14.0

United States(1)

 

Civilian labor force

159,508159,830159,643159,456159,640(2)159,716160,056160,201160,213159,784160,145160,494160,571

Employed

151,655151,926151,902152,048152,111(2)152,081152,528153,000153,156152,923153,168153,513153,439

Unemployed

7,8537,9047,7407,4097,5297,6357,5287,2027,0566,8616,9776,9817,132

Unemployment rate

4.94.94.84.64.74.84.74.54.44.34.44.34.4

Footnotes
(1) Data for the U.S. are obtained directly from the national Current Population Survey (CPS) and are not preliminary. Seasonally adjusted CPS data have been revised as a result of routine seasonal updates processed at the end of each calendar year.
(2) Data affected by changes in population controls.
(p) Preliminary
 

NOTE: Data refer to place of residence. Area definitions are based on Office of Management and Budget Bulletin No. 10-02, dated December 1, 2009, and are available at www.bls.gov/lau.lausmsa.htm. Estimates for the latest month are subject to revision the following month.
NOTE: Data in this series reflect revised population controls, model reestimation, and new seasonal factors from January 2005 through December 2009.
 

Table 2. Civilian labor force and unemployment by census region and division, seasonally adjusted (Numbers in thousands)
Census region and divisionCivilian labor forceUnemployed
Aug
2016
June
2017
July
2017
Aug
2017
NumberPercent of the labor force
Aug
2016
June
2017
July
2017
Aug
2017
Aug
2016
June
2017
July
2017
Aug
2017

Northeast

28,350.928,664.528,667.628,618.91,359.71,274.11,281.51,292.24.84.44.54.5

New England

7,812.78,001.67,998.67,973.8306.9332.0331.0321.33.94.14.14.0

Middle Atlantic

20,538.220,662.920,668.920,645.11,052.8942.1950.5970.95.14.64.64.7

South

58,163.159,116.159,051.259,022.72,827.62,589.12,498.42,464.64.94.44.24.2

South Atlantic

30,997.431,619.531,638.031,646.71,479.61,339.41,308.61,297.44.84.24.14.1

East South Central

8,588.38,718.78,701.68,696.5455.1385.2381.9377.85.34.44.44.3

West South Central

18,577.418,777.918,711.618,679.5892.9864.5807.8789.44.84.64.34.2

Midwest

34,692.534,728.534,731.734,757.31,623.11,348.71,353.91,425.04.73.93.94.1

East North Central

23,516.323,589.823,580.423,583.51,170.2963.5973.11,035.85.04.14.14.4

West North Central

11,176.111,138.711,151.411,173.8452.9385.2380.8389.24.13.53.43.5

West

37,541.137,894.237,944.638,005.21,905.51,659.21,680.31,728.75.14.44.44.5

Mountain

11,661.011,885.511,894.011,899.8526.7470.8472.9470.34.54.04.04.0

Pacific

25,880.226,008.726,050.626,105.41,378.81,188.41,207.41,258.45.34.64.64.8

NOTE: Data refer to place of residence. Regions are defined as the four Census regions, comprised as follows: Northeast Region includes the New England Division - Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont; and the Middle Atlantic Division - New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. South Region includes the South Atlantic Division - Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia; East South Central Division - Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee; and West South Central Division - Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. Midwest Region includes the East North Central - Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin; and the West North Central Division - Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. West Region includes the Mountain Division -Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming and Pacific Division- Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington. Estimates for the current year are subject to revision early in the following calendar year. Data in this series reflect revised population controls, model reestimation, and new seasonal factors from January 2012 through December 2016
 

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, October 05, 2017