Fluctuations in State-Level Monthly Unemployment Rates: A Descriptive Analysis of the Effect of Geographic Location and U.S. Unemployment Rates

Abstract

This study examines fluctuations in state-level monthly unemployment rates from January 1976 to December 2016, a period of 492 months. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics series, patterns in the monthly seasonally adjusted unemployment rates of the 50 states and the District of Columbia are examined. The study focuses on two unemployment-related issues. First, the relationship between a state’s unemployment rate and the U.S. unemployment rate is examined. Second, we explore the extent to which a state’s geographic location, using Census regions and Census divisions, affects its monthly unemployment rate.