WASHINGTON (AP) — Unemployment rates fell in less than half of U.S. states last month, as steady but slow hiring is making only gradual improvement in the job market.

The Labor Department says that rates fell in 22 states in December and rose in 16. They were unchanged in 12. Nationwide, the rate remained 7.8 percent.

The rate is now below 7 percent in 25 states. And some of the states hardest hit in the recession have seen solid gains. Nevada's unemployment rate, the highest in the nation, plummeted 0.6 percentage points last month to 10.2 percent.

Continue Reading for Free

Register and gain access to:

  • Breaking benefits news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
  • Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
  • Critical converage of the property casualty insurance and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, PropertyCasualty360 and ThinkAdvisor
NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.