Washington’s unemployment rate steady at 5.2%

Utah’s unemployment rate is 3.6 per cent, and Idaho’s is 4 per cent.

Employment figures are estimated from surveys of employers, who report the number of jobs, and of households, where people are asked whether they are seeking jobs. In the 12-county Deep East Texas Workforce Development Area, the jobless rate went from 5.7 percent in September to 6.1 percent in October. Of that number, 35,407 were employed that month.

After revisions to the previous week claims and monthly average the overall unemployment claims this week unemployment claims saw a increase from the previous week’s revised level of 276,000 claims. The largest over-the-year percentage increases occurred in Idaho (+3.8 percent), Utah (+3.5 percent), and Nevada (+3.4 percent). One year ago there were 2,174,852 people claiming unemployment benefits.

Monroe County continues to have the lowest unemployment rate in the state at 3.4 percent with St. Johns County on the First Coast as the next lowest at 3.6 percent.

Notes: Unemployment rates were computed from unrounded data.

The national unemployment dropped slightly to 5 percent, from 5.1 percent last month.

Wage and salary employment increased in October by 7,200 to 1,965,000. “This is the lowest rate Kansas has recorded in more than 14 years”.

North Dakota’s unemployment rate of 2.8 per cent was the lowest in the nation, followed by Nebraska’s 2.9 per cent. Even with the large decrease, West Virginia had the highest.

Over the past year, the jobless rate has decreased six-tenths of a point as nonfarm payrolls have increased 51,900. In addition, the construction industry added 2,600 jobs over the month. The bureau weighs unemployment filings during the 12th week of each month particularly prominently in its monthly unemployment calculations, so November’s unemployment rate is likely to show improvement – or at the very least remain at its seven-year low of 5 percent. Rates have been holding steady at 1.6% since September.