State jobless rates mostly steady in October

Unemployment rates at states nationwide held relatively stable in October, the Labor Department reported Tuesday.

More states saw their unemployment rates dip compared to those that experienced increases, according to new numbers released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. All told, 35 states, plus the District of Columbia, saw the number of jobs increase, while just 15 experienced declines in jobs. Over the last 12 months, employment has increased in 43 states and the District, and dropped in just seven.

But most monthly changes were relatively muted, as no state experienced a change in either direction of more than 1 percent. Utah led the way with the biggest drop in its unemployment rate as it fell 0.7 percent. Alaska and Rhode Island experienced the biggest jumps in joblessness, as their rates each increased by 0.5 percent.

North Dakota has seen its unemployment rate fall 5.3 percent in the last year, good for the biggest drop in the nation. Meanwhile, West Virginia has seen its jobless rate jump 1.5 percent over that stretch, the nation's largest.

Just three states still hold unemployment rates in the double digits. Nevada holds the title of the nation's highest unemployment rate of 11.5 percent, while California and Rhode Island have rates of 10.1 percent and 10.4 percent, respectively.

Regionally, the nation's western states continue to hold the nation's highest unemployment rate of 9.0 percent (the national rate stands at 7.9 percent). Meanwhile, the Midwest retains the lowest jobless rate of 7.3 percent.

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