The national rate in August was 4.3%, up 0.1% from July, according to a new U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report. Overall, 35 states ended August with rates below the national number and 13 states and the District of Columbia had rates higher than the national figure, according to Congress' Joint Economic Committee’s monthly report. Back in the West, states saw their unemployment rates remain the same or drop or rise slightly. California companies understand workers don’t want to deal with the state’s high costs for things such as housing, so firms let employees work remotely from home in other states, Winegarden said. Additionally, the state’s $20-an-hour minimum wage law for fast-food employees has led restaurants to cut back on staff, Winegarden said.