10:16 AM EST, 01/28/2025 (MT Newswires) -- State-level data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Tuesday showed the unemployment rate rose in six states in December, fell in two and held steady elsewhere.

The largest unemployment rate gains were in Mississippi and Alabama, where it rose by 0.2 percentage point in each state. South Dakota had the lowest rate at 1.9% while Nevada had the highest at 5.7%.

The national unemployment rate was reported at 4.1% in December, down from 4.2% in November.

Nonfarm payrolls rose in two states and were little changed elsewhere. Nationwide nonfarm payrolls increased by 256,000 in December after a 212,000 gain in November.

The largest payrolls gain in absolute terms was in Texas, which added 37,500 jobs, followed by Missouri with 11,200.