At Employer Solutions Plus we know how critical it is to stay on top of current topics, statistics and reports that come out of the Department of Labor. We know that employers are also interested in this information but that navigating the reports, outputs and government speak can be exhausting and often pushed to the back of the to-do list.

Need a quick update? You’re in luck! This week we are spotlighting highlights from the latest reports on employment statistics, published May 16,2014. These reports are important as they give us insight into state-wide and national employment trends.

• Regional and state unemployment rates were generally lower across the United States during the month of April. 43 states saw decreases, two saw increases and five had no change.
• The national jobless rate fell to 6.3% percent, which was 1.2 percentage points lower than April of 2014.
• Texas led the way in job growth, adding over 64,100 jobs over the month.
• Illinois lost the most jobs month over month seeing 6,800 jobs lost.
• The west continued to lead the way in regional unemployment, 7.0%
• The south continued to have the lowest regional unemployment at 6.9%

Employment trends are important pieces of data for you and your business. Staying abreast of unemployment numbers on a local, regional and national level helps you understand the labor markets available to you as a business owner.

Stay tuned in to our blog for changes in the Consumer Price Index and other HR related topics! Contact our team if you have any questions.