Jobless rates down in 45 states in November; payroll jobs up in 30 states, down in 20

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Friday, December 21, 2012
....

REGIONAL AND STATE EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT -- NOVEMBER 2012

Regional and state unemployment rates were generally lower in
November. Forty-five states and the District of Columbia recorded
unemployment rate decreases and five states had no change, the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Forty-three states and the
District of Columbia registered unemployment rate decreases from a
year earlier, six states experienced increases, and one state had no
change. The national jobless rate, 7.7 percent, edged down from
October and was 1.0 percentage point lower than in November 2011.

In November 2012, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 30 states
and decreased in 20 states and the District of Columbia. The largest
over-the-month increase in employment occurred in North Carolina
(+30,600), followed by Florida (+24,500) and Texas (+22,100). The
largest over-the-month decrease in employment occurred in New York
(-33,500), followed by Indiana (-9,100) and New Jersey (-8,100).
November data for New Jersey and New York reflect the impact of
Hurricane Sandy, as well as underlying economic trends. Louisiana
experienced the largest over-the-month percentage increase in
employment (+0.9 percent), followed by Hawaii, Nevada, and North
Carolina (+0.8 percent each). The District of Columbia experienced the
largest over-the-month percentage decline in employment (-0.7 percent),
followed by Nebraska and New York (-0.4 percent each). Over the year,
nonfarm employment increased in 45 states and decreased in 5 states
and the District of Columbia. The largest over-the-year percentage
increase occurred in North Dakota (+4.7 percent). The largest over-
the-year percentage decrease in employment occurred in West Virginia
(-1.8 percent).

Read more: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.nr0.htm

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This release helps sort out the effects of Hurricane Sandy, as this article from the Washington Post explains:

"The jobs report Friday {December 7, 2012} is going to be a giant mess"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/12/06/the-jobs-report-friday-is-going-to-be-a-giant-mess/

Posted by Neil Irwin on December 6, 2012 at 10:31 am

....
It will be possible to filter out the effects of the storm and glean what happened in the economy more broadly last month, but not until December 21. That is when the Labor Department releases state jobs numbers; a data set that is often overlooked, it will be parsed to filter out the effect of job losses in New Jersey, New York, and other affected places.

Today's report has lots of explanatory notes.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. California jobless rate falls to 9.8%, lowest in almost 4 years

California jobless rate falls to 9.8%, lowest in almost 4 years
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-mo-california-sheds-3800-jobs-in-november-jobless-rate-falls-to-98-20121221,0,6802816.story

By Ricardo Lopez

December 21, 2012, 8:22 a.m.
With one of the strongest holiday shopping seasons in years, a surge in hiring by retailers helped lower California's unemployment rate in November to its lowest level in almost four years.

The state's jobless rate fell to 9.8% from 10.1% in October, according to data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The drop in the unemployment rate came even as the state's labor force – the number of people who are able to work and either have a job or are looking for one – grew by 34,100 people in November.

A growing labor force is typically a sign that job seekers feel encouraged to resume looking for work again.