U.S. unemployment drops

The U.S. seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped a tenth of a point to 8.1 percent in April, compared to 8.2 percent in March. The April rate also was ninth-tenths of a point lower than the same month in 2011.

During April, 37 states - including Missouri - and Washington, D.C., reported unemployment decreases, five states posted increases and eight states saw no changes compared to March, according to a news release from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Missouri's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 7.3 percent in April.

Missouri was listed by the BLS as one of 24 states to register significantly lower unemployment rates compared to the same month of the last year. In April 2011, Missouri's unemployment rate was 8.6 percent.

Nevada had the highest unemployment rate during April of this year at 11.7 percent, followed by Rhode Island and California, with rates of 11.2 percent and 10.9 percent, respectively. The lowest jobless rate was reported in North Dakota at 3 percent, with Nebraska, 3.9 percent, and South Dakota, 4.3 percent, rounding out the Top 3, according to the release.[[In-content Ad]]