Unemployment rates inched higher in 15 states in December, including Virginia and Maryland, but both remain relatively low.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports Virginia’s unemployment rate last month was 3.0%, up from 2.9% in November. Maryland’s unemployment rate rose from 1.8% to 1.9% last month.
Maryland had maintained the title of state with the lowest unemployment rate throughout the fall of 2023, though in December it shared the title with North Dakota, whose unemployment rate was also 1.9%.
Nevada still has the highest state unemployment rate in the country, at 5.4%.
Maryland ended the year with 35,200 more jobs than at the end of 2022. In Virginia, annual job growth in 2023 was almost 153,000 jobs.
30 states had meaningful growth in jobs in 2023, led by 369,600 gained in Texas, 311,600 gained in California and 240,6000 gained in Florida.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics posts state-by-state unemployment rate changes and changes in civilian labor force online.