September Unemployment Rate Declines Most in Maryland and New Hampshire

State-level data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that the unemployment rate fell in five states in September and remained steady elsewhere. Maryland and New Hampshire experienced the largest declines, each seeing a 0.2 percentage point drop. South Dakota recorded the lowest unemployment rate at 2.0%, while Washington D.C. had the highest at 5.6%. Nationally, the unemployment rate for September was reported at 4.2%, an increase from 4.1% in August. New Jersey led in payrolls gains, adding 14,900 jobs.