US Unemployment Rate Stays at 4.2% as Some States See Improvement

The U.S. unemployment rate remained steady at 4.2 percent in June, according to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This is consistent with both month-over-month and year-over-year comparisons.

Nationally, employment increased in only three states - Texas, Minnesota, and New Hampshire - while declining in one state, West Virginia, and remaining unchanged in 46 states and the District of Columbia.

Over the past year, four states saw an increase in nonfarm payroll employment: Texas, North Carolina, Minnesota, and Nevada. In contrast, the largest declines occurred in Virginia, which lost 43,600 jobs, down 1.0 percent, and the District of Columbia, which lost 36,100 jobs, a decrease of 4.8 percent.