WASHINGTON — Unemployment rates fell in Virginia, Maryland and 18 other states in April.

The Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics says Virginia had a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 3.9 percent in April. down from 4.0 percent in March.  Maryland’s unemployment rate fell to 4.6 percent, from 4.7 percent.

Both Virginia and Maryland had unemployment rates below the national average of 5.0 percent in April.

Virginia’s nonfarm payrolls totaled just over 3.9 million jobs in April, about 80,000 more than a year earlier. Maryland has added about 78,000 jobs in the last year, for a total of 2.71 million.

South Dakota had the nation’s lowest state unemployment rate in April, at just 2.5 percent.

Alaska and Illinois tied for the highest state unemployment rate, at 6.6 percent in April.