10:16 AM EDT, 04/19/2024 (MT Newswires) -- State-level data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Friday showed the unemployment rate fell in six states in March, rose in one and held steady elsewhere.

The largest unemployment rate decline was in Arizona, where it fell by 0.3 percentage point. North Dakota had the lowest rate at 2% while California had the highest at 5.3%.

The national unemployment rate was reported at 3.8% in March, down from 3.9% in February.

Nonfarm payrolls rose in five states and were little changed elsewhere. Nationwide nonfarm payrolls rose by 303,000 in March after a 270,000 gain in February.

The largest payrolls gain in absolute terms was in Virginia, which added 16,500 jobs, followed by Georgia with 16,200.