News release: “Regional and state unemployment rates were little changed in March. Twenty-four states recorded over-the-month unemployment rate increases, 17 states and the District of Columbia registered rate decreases, and 9 states had no rate change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Forty-four states and the District of Columbia recorded jobless rate increases from a year earlier, 5 states had decreases, and 1 state had no change. For the third consecutive month, the national unemployment rate was 9.7 percent, up from 8.6 percent in March 2009. In March, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 33 states and the District of Columbia and decreased in 17 states. The largest over-the-month increase in employment occurred in Maryland (+35,800), followed by Virginia (+24,500), Pennsylvania (+22,600), Indiana (+16,600), and New York (+11,700). Maryland experienced the largest over-the-month percentage increase in employment (+1.4 percent), followed by the District of Columbia (+1.1 percent) and Arkansas and Delaware (+0.9 percent each). The largest over-the-month decreases in employment occurred in Michigan (-9,500), Nevada (-7,100), and Florida (-4,000). Nevada and Vermont experienced the largest over-the-month percentage decrease in employment (-0.6 percent each), followed by New Hampshire and New Mexico (-0.3 percent each). Over the year, nonfarm employment decreased in 47 states and increased in 3 states and the District of Columbia. The largest over-the-year percentage decreases occurred in Nevada (-4.6 percent), Wyoming (-3.5 percent), Arizona (-3.3 percent), and California (-3.2 percent).”