10:25 AM EDT, 04/22/2026 (MT Newswires) -- State-level data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Wednesday showed the unemployment rate in February rose in one steady and held steady in 49 states and the District of Columbia.

The unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage point in Florida. South Dakota and Hawaii had the lowest rate at 2.3% each while Washington D.C. had the highest at 6.5%.

The national unemployment rate was reported at 4.4% in February, up from 4.3% in January before falling back to 4.3% in March.

Nonfarm payrolls increased in one state, fell in two and were little changed elsewhere. Nationwide nonfarm payrolls decreased by 133,000 in February after a 160,000 gain in January. Payrolls rose by 178,000 in March.

The largest payrolls gain was in Arizona, which added 11,000 jobs, while the largest payrolls declines were in Illinois, where they fell by 17,800, and Nebraska, where they fell by 6,500.

State-level payrolls data for March are due to be released on May 6.