10:28 AM EDT, 06/25/2024 (MT Newswires) -- State-level data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Tuesday showed the unemployment rate fell in four states in May, rose in three and held steady elsewhere.

The largest unemployment rate decline was in Arizona, where it fell by 0.2 percentage point. North Dakota and South Dakota had the lowest rate at 2% while the District of Columbia had the highest at 5.3%.

The national unemployment rate was reported at 4% in May, up from 3.9% in April.

Nonfarm payrolls rose in seven states and the District of Columbia, and were little changed elsewhere. Nationwide nonfarm payrolls rose by 272,000 in May after 165,000 gain in April.

The largest payrolls gain in absolute terms was in California, which added 43,700 jobs, followed by Texas with 41,800. Idaho's 0.9% gain was the largest percentage increase.