State unemployment rates, October 2009

November 27, 2009

Michigan again recorded the highest unemployment rate among the States, 15.1 percent, in October. The States with the next highest rates were Nevada, 13.0 percent; Rhode Island, 12.9 percent; California, 12.5 percent; and South Carolina, 12.1 percent. The October unemployment rates in these States were more than double what they were at the beginning of the recession in December 2007.

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The rate in California set a new series high, as did the rates in Delaware (8.7 percent) and Florida (11.2 percent). The District of Columbia also set a series high, 11.9 percent. (All State unemployment data series begin in 1976.)

North Dakota continued to register the lowest jobless rate, 4.2 percent, in October, followed by Nebraska, 4.9 percent, and South Dakota, 5.0 percent.

In December 2007, the unemployment rate in Michigan was 7.3 percent, while rates in California, Nevada, Rhode Island, and South Carolina were 6.0 percent or lower. In Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota, jobless rates were 3.1 percent or lower in December 2007.

These data are from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program. See "Regional and State Employment and Unemployment — October 2009" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL 09-1405.