Unemployment Rates Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rate May 2008 Not Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rate May 2008 United States 5.5% United States 5.2% New Hampshire 4.0% New Hampshire 3.8%

June 16, 2008

New Hampshire's preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for May 2008 was 4.0 percent, an increase of 0.2 percentage points from the April rate, which was unchanged with revision. The May 2007 seasonally adjusted rate was 3.6 percent.

Seasonally adjusted estimates for May 2008 placed the number of employed residents at 715,730, a decrease of 1,900 from the previous month and an increase of 4,730 from May 2007. The number of unemployed residents increased 1,160 over-the-month to 29,580. This was 2,760 more unemployed than in May 2007. From April 2008 to May 2008, the total labor force decreased by 740 to 745,310. This was an increase of 7,490 from May 2007.

The unadjusted May 2008 unemployment rate for New Hampshire was 3.8 percent. This was a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the April rate, which increased 0.1 percentage point with revision. The May 2007 unadjusted rate was 3.5 percent.

Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for May 2008 was 5.5 percent, an increase of 0.5 percentage points from the April rate and an increase of 1.0 percentage point from the May 2007 rate. The national unadjusted rate for May 2008 was 5.2 percent, an increase of 0.4 percentage points from the April rate and an increase of 0.9 percentage points from the May 2007 rate.

NOTE: State nonfarm employment estimates are available on our Internet Web site: www.nh.gov/nhes/elmi concurrent with this release. Local area unemployment rates are expected to be available on Thursday, June 26. All monthly data will continue to be published in the monthly newsletter New Hampshire Economic Conditions.