In 14 states and the District of Columbia, at least a tenth of the work force was unemployed in August, according to a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report released Friday. Even as some economic indicators in housing and elsewhere showed signs of improvement, unemployment rates declined in just seven states from July to August. In every other state, the portion of workers who could not find jobs stagnated or, in most places, grew. Compared with the same time last year, unemployment rates increased in every state and the District of Columbia, fueling expectations that the many government efforts to tame the recession will not prevent a jobless recovery. The regions that have been hit hardest -- primarily those with once-bustling construction and manufacturing industries -- continue to suffer, Mr. Baker said. 'The only positive news, probably going into next year, will be slower rates of decline, not job additions.' Michigan continued to have the highest jobless rate, at a seasonally adjusted 15.2 percent, compared with a national rate of 9.7 percent. In the Detroit metropolitan area, the rate reached 17.3 percent. Nevada and Rhode Island followed Michigan, with unemployment rates of 13.2 percent and 12.8 percent, respectively. The rates in Nevada, Rhode Island and California -- where unemployment reached 12.2 percent -- were the highest on record for those states. Generally, Western states had the weakest job markets, with Plains-state labor forces relatively more resilient. North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska all registered jobless rates of 5 percent or lower. Compared with places like California, unemployment has barely budged in these states over the last year. Nonfarm payroll jobs -- calculated from a different government survey -- declined in 42 states and the District of Columbia. Texas lost the most jobs from July to August of this year, with a net loss of 62,200 positions. It was followed by Michigan and Georgia. North Carolina, Montana and Georgia registered the biggest month-over-month increases in nonfarm payrolls. Economists caution that because such monthly state payroll measures can be volatile, these increases may not indicate a turnaround. 