Chart: Unemployment by geographic region and division

In September, the West region reported the highest regional unemployment rate, 10.9 percent, while the Northeast region recorded the lowest rate, 8.6 percent. This is according to research data from the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.

[Chart data]

Over the year, the Midwest was the only region to register a significant rate change (-0.7 percentage point).

In September, among the nine geographic divisions, the Pacific continued to report the highest jobless rate, 11.6 percent. The lowest unemployment rates were registered by the West North Central, 7.1 percent, and by the West South Central, at 7.9 percent.

Over the year, two divisions posted measurable rate decreases — the East South Central (-1.2 percentage points) and the East North Central (-0.8 percentage point). The Mountain division experienced the only statistically significant unemployment rate increase from a year earlier (+0.6 percentage point).

This data is from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program. See "Regional and State Employment and Unemployment — September 2010" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL–10–1453.