WASHINGTON (12/21/15)--Nonfarm employment rose in 35 states and the District of Columbia in November, a step back from October’s performance when 40 states saw payrolls climb, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Employment fell in 14 states, up from nine states in October, and in Montana employment was unchanged (Economy.com Dec. 18).

“The November job numbers for state and regional economies were encouraging, despite the fact that fewer states reported employment increases than in October and the trend in growth has moderated somewhat,” said Aaron Smith, Moody’s analyst (Economy.com). “Summing up the total for states, payroll employment rose 202,000 in November, about half as much as in October, but close to the separately reported national figure of a 211,000 gain.”

The numbers, in more detail:

• The largest increases in employment took place in Florida (35,200) and Virginia (14,400), while Nevada (-6,700), Wisconsin (-4,800) and Pennsylvania (-3,400) recorded the largest drops;
   
• The Plains states recorded the lowest unemployment rate nationwide at 3.9%, while the East South Central region had the highest at 5.7%, followed by the Pacific with a rate of 5.6%; and
   
• By state, North Dakota had the lowest unemployment rate at 2.7%, followed by Nebraska at 2.9%. New Mexico had the highest jobless rate at 6.8%, followed by the District of Columbia at 6.6% and West Virginia at 6.5%.

“Not surprisingly, across regions, labor market conditions are weakest or deteriorating the most in the country’s midsection, where energy and farm and mining-related manufacturing play an important role,” Smith said. “Spillover from the global economy is also hurting the factory sector, particularly in the industrial Midwest, whose export-oriented manufacturing centers are being held back by weak foreign demand and the strong dollar.”