We need to see a lot more new jobs but still, lower unemployment is still lower unemployment.
Unemployment rates dropped in September in most states, the Labor Department said on Friday ahead of early November elections where jobs are expected to be a key focus for voters selecting governors, state legislators and federal lawmakers.
The unemployment rate dropped from the prior month in 23 states and the District of Columbia, and was lower than a year earlier in 29 states and the nation's capital.
Still, the number of workers dropped in a significant number of states. Nonfarm payroll employment decreased in 34 states, with the largest decline -- 63,500 jobs -- in California. New York followed, shedding 37,600 jobs last month.
In contrast, only 16 states gained jobs. The District of Columbia, a city without a state, had the largest increase at 16,500 positions.
