News release: “Regional and state unemployment rates were generally little changed or slightly lower in April. Thirty-nine states recorded unemployment rate decreases, three states and the District of Columbia registered rate increases, and eight states had no rate change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Forty-six states and the District of Columbia posted unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier, three states reported increases, and one state had no change. The national jobless rate edged up by 0.2 percentage point between March and April to 9.0 percent, but was 0.8 point lower than a year earlier. In April nonfarm payroll employment increased in 42 states and the District of Columbia and decreased in 8 states. The largest over-the-month increase in employment occurred in New York (+45,700), followed by Texas (+32,900), Pennsylvania (+23,700), Massachusetts (+19,500), and Florida (+14,900). Nebraska experienced the largest over-the-month percentage increase in employment (+0.9 percent), followed by Kansas and Oklahoma (+0.8 percent each) and Louisiana and New Hampshire (+0.7 percent each). The largest over-the-month decrease in employment occurred in Michigan (-10,200), followed by Minnesota (-5,200), South Carolina (-3,800), Indiana (-2,500), and Vermont (-2,200).”