10:12 AM EDT, 05/17/2024 (MT Newswires) -- State-level data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Friday showed the unemployment rate fell in five states in April, rose in two and held steady elsewhere.

The largest unemployment rate declines were in Arizona, Mississippi, Montana and Maine, where it fell by 0.2 percentage point in each state. North Dakota and South Dakota had the lowest rate at 2% each, while California had the highest at 5.3%.

The national unemployment rate was reported at 3.9% in April, up from 3.8% in March.

Nonfarm payrolls rose in six states and were little changed elsewhere. Nationwide nonfarm payrolls rose by 175,000 in April after a 315,000 gain in March.

The largest payrolls gain in absolute terms was in Florida, which added 45,300 jobs, followed by Texas with 42,600 jobs. Missouri's 0.6% gain was the largest percentage increase.