The US unemployment rate remained unchanged in September at 9.1% but has decreased from 9.6% a year ago. Unemployment rates improved in 25 states and were unchanged in 12 states in September. Louisiana and Minnesota saw the largest improvements of 0.3%. Since September last year, 38 states have seen lower unemployment rates, with New Mexico experiencing the biggest drop from 8.6% to 6.6%.

1. State Employment Trends October 2011 National Association of REALTORS® Research Division Compilation of Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

2. Data Highlights The US unemployment rate was unchanged in September at 9.1 percent and is down from 9.6 percent a year ago. State by state, the pattern was somewhat different. 25 states saw the unemployment rate improve in the month; an additional 12 saw no increase. From one month ago, Louisiana and Minnesota had the biggest improvement each seeing a 0.3 percent drop in the unemployment rate. Since September one year ago, 38 states have had an improvement in the unemployment rate. New Mexico—now at 6.6 percent from 8.6 percent—had the largest improvement in this period. In September, North Dakota, Nebraska, and South Dakota had the lowest unemployment rates—all under 5 percent. At the same time, 10 states and the District of Columbia had double-digit unemployment rates.

3. More Highlights and Outlook 47 states and D.C. had positive job growth in the last year, and 24 states had positive job growth in September—a time when net job growth was about 100,000 jobs for the nation. The average change among states was a slight increase, but below the historic average of national payroll job growth each month of 0.1% to 0.2%. The greatest job growth in September was in DC, last month’s biggest job loser, while New Hampshire had the largest job decline (both as a share of previous payrolls). Moving forward, increasing labor force participation may keep the unemployment rate high even as jobs are being added. The following slides show state-level detail of unemployment rates and payroll employment.

5. AKLNAGRA "All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Alaska" " % Change - Year to Year SA, Thous" AKLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) AKLNAGRA 9901-10912

6. AZLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Arizona SA, Thous AZLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) AZLNAGRA 10504-11003

7. ARLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Arkansas SA, Thous ARLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) ARLNAGRA 10504-11003

8. CALNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonfarm, California SA, Thous CALNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) CALNAGRA 10504-11003

9. COLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Colorado SA, Thous COLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) COLNAGRA 10504-11003

10. CTLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Connecticut SA, Thous CTLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) CTLNAGRA 10504-11003

11. DELNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Delaware SA, Thous DELNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) DELNAGRA 10504-11003

12. DCLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, D.C. SA, Thous DCLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) DCLNAGRA 10504-11003

13. FLLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Florida SA, Thous FLLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) FLLNAGRA 10504-11003

14. GALNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Georgia SA, Thous GALNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) GALNAGRA 10504-11003

15. HILNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Hawaii SA, Thous HILNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) HILNAGRA 10504-11003

16. IDLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Idaho SA, Thous IDLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) IDLNAGRA 10504-11003

17. ILLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonfarm, Illinois SA, Thous ILLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) ILLNAGRA 10504-11003

18. INLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Indiana SA, Thous INLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) INLNAGRA 10504-11003

19. IALNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Iowa SA, Thous IALNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) IALNAGRA 10504-11003

20. KSLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Kansas SA, Thous KSLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) KSLNAGRA 10504-11003

21. KYLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Kentucky SA, Thous KYLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) KYLNAGRA 10504-11003

22. LALNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Louisiana SA, Thous LALNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) LALNAGRA 10504-11003

23. MELNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Maine SA, Thous MELNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) MELNAGRA 10504-11003

24. MDLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Maryland SA, Thous MDLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) MDLNAGRA 10504-11003

25. MALNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Massachusetts SA, Thous MALNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) MALNAGRA 10504-11003

26. MILNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Michigan SA, Thous MILNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) MILNAGRA 10504-11003

27. MNLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Minnesota SA, Thous MNLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) MNLNAGRA 10504-11003

28. MSLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Mississippi SA, Thous MSLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) MSLNAGRA 10504-11003

29. MOLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Missouri SA, Thous MOLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) MOLNAGRA 10504-11003

30. MTLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Montana SA, Thous MTLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) MTLNAGRA 10504-11003

31. NELNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Nebraska SA, Thous NELNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) NELNAGRA 10504-11003

32. NVLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Nevada SA, Thous NVLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) NVLNAGRA 10504-11003

33. NHLNAGRA Units All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, New Hampshire SA, Thous. NHLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) NHLNAGRA 10504-11003

34. NJLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonfarm, New Jersey SA, Thous NJLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) NJLNAGRA 10504-11003

35. NMLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, New Mexico SA, Thous NMLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) NMLNAGRA 10504-11003

36. NYLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonfarm, New York SA, Thous NYLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) NYLNAGRA 10504-11003

37. NCLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, North Carolina SA, Thous NCLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) NCLNAGRA 10504-11003

38. NDLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, North Dakota SA, Thous NDLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) NDLNAGRA 10504-11003

39. OHLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Ohio SA, Thous OHLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) OHLNAGRA 10504-11003

40. OKLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Oklahoma SA, Thous OKLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) OKLNAGRA 10504-11003

41. ORLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Oregon SA, Thous ORLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) ORLNAGRA 10504-11003

42. PALNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Pennsylvania SA, Thous PALNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) PALNAGRA 10504-11003

43. RILNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Rhode Island SA, Thous RILNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) RILNAGRA 10504-11003

44. SCLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, South Carolina SA, Thous SCLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) SCLNAGRA 10504-11003

45. SDLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, South Dakota SA, Thous SDLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) SDLNAGRA 10504-11003

46. TNLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Tennessee SA, Thous TNLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) TNLNAGRA 10504-11003

47. TXLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonfarm, Texas SA ,Thous TXLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) TXLNAGRA 10504-11003

48. UTLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Utah SA, Thous UTLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) UTLNAGRA 10504-11003

49. VTLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Vermont SA, Thous VTLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) VTLNAGRA 10504-11003

50. VALNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Virginia SA, Thous VALNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) VALNAGRA 10504-11003

51. WALNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Washington SA, Thous WALNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) WALNAGRA 10504-11003

52. WVLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, West Virginia SA, Thous WVLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) WVLNAGRA 10504-11003

53. WILNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Wisconsin SA, Thous WILNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) WILNAGRA 10504-11003

54. WYLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Wyoming SA, Thous WYLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) WYLNAGRA 10504-11003

55. ALLNAGRA All Employees: Total Nonagricultural, Alabama SA, Thous ALLNAGRA.EMF (LABORR) ALLNAGRA 10509-11008