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July Unemployment Rate Falls Largest in South Carolina, Ohio, Illinois, Washington, Pennsylvania, New York, Rhode Island

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State-level data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Friday showed the unemployment rate fell in 10 states in July and held steady elsewhere.

The largest unemployment rate declines were in South Carolina, Ohio, Illinois, Washington, Pennsylvania, New York and Rhode Island, where it fell by 0.2 percentage point in each state. South Dakota had the lowest rate at 2% while Washington DC had the highest at 5.9%.

The national unemployment rate was reported at 4.1% in July, down from 4.2% in June.

The only significant payrolls gain was in Maryland, which added 11,700 jobs, while payrolls decreased by 25,600 jobs in New Jersey and held steady elsewhere.

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