Unemployment Rates Shift Across Three States

Unemployment rates remained below the national 4.2% in the states covered, though labor-market measures varied. Maryland’s rate fell to 3.9%, its lowest since April 2025, even as an employer survey estimated a loss of 8,800 nonfarm jobs; state officials cautioned that job estimates have been volatile and pointed to fewer unemployment claims. Arkansas held at 3.9%, while its civilian workforce and employment increased. Pennsylvania’s rate declined to 3.6%, its lowest in three years, as its labor force and employment reached record levels; nonfarm jobs were essentially unchanged from August.