Which States Have the Highest and Lowest Unemployment Rates?

State Unemployment Levels for December 2020

Please consider the BLS report on State Unemployment Levels for December 2020.

Key Points

  • In December 2020, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 15 states, decreased in 11 states, and was
     essentially unchanged in 24 states and the District of Columbia. 
  • Hawaii and Nevada had the highest unemployment rates in December, 9.3 percent and 9.2 percent,
     respectively. Nebraska and South Dakota had the lowest rates, 3.0 percent each. 
  • 25 states had jobless rates lower than the U.S. figure of 6.7 percent, 10 states and the District of Columbia had higher rates, and 15 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation. 
  • Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment decreased in 48 states and the District of Columbia and was
    essentially unchanged in 2 states. 
  • The largest job declines occurred in California (-1,410,000), New
     York (-1,020,700), and Michigan (-486,800). The largest percentage declines occurred in Hawaii (-13.8 percent), Michigan (-10.9 percent), and New York (-10.4 percent). 

Lowest Unemployment Rates December 2020

  1. South Dakota: 3.0
  2. Nebraska: 3.0%
  3. Iowa: 3.1%
  4. Vermont: 3.1%
  5. Utah: 3.6%
  6. Kansas: 3.8%
  7. Alabama: 3.9%
  8. New Hampshire: 4.0%

The above states all had unemployment rates 4.0% or below.

Highest Unemployment Rates December 2020

  1. Hawaii: 9.3%
  2. Nevada: 9.2%
  3. California: 9.0%
  4. Colorado: 8.4%
  5. New Mexico: 8.2%
  6. New York: 8.2%
  7. Rhode Island: 8.1%
  8. Connecticut: 8.0%
  9. District of Columbia: 7.9%
  10. Illinois: 7.6%

Historical Chart

Rural farm states like Nebraska, South Dakota, and Iowa have very stable employment rates vs industrial states, strong public union states, and states that depend on tourism like Hawaii and Nevada.

Mish

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Hilayu77
Hilayu77
3 years ago

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markwood45
markwood45
3 years ago

markwood45
markwood45
3 years ago

Sechel
Sechel
3 years ago

I was diheartened but not surprised when Joe Biden indicated continued support for the Jones Act which hurts both Hawaii and Puerto Rico economically

Eddie_T
Eddie_T
3 years ago
Reply to  Sechel

I should have known about the Jones Act….but I didn’t. Spent an interesting few minutes reading about it.

Sechel
Sechel
3 years ago
Reply to  Eddie_T

I trashed Trump for supporting it and will be hard on Joe Biden for supporting it as well

RunnrDan
RunnrDan
3 years ago
Reply to  Sechel

I believe it also is the reason cruises from Seattle to Alaska make a pit stop in Vancouver. This way, they are not going directly from one US port to another, so they can staff up with eastern Europeans and Philippinoes.

Eddie_T
Eddie_T
3 years ago
Reply to  Sechel

I don’t have much history with PR except for the San Juan Airport…where I’ve whiled away many hours over the years that might have been better spent elsewhere…..but I do have a history in USVI…….and it’s so expensive to get stuff shipped from the States….and so crucial…I know about that part. No wonder so many Americans move to BVI…

Felix_Mish
Felix_Mish
3 years ago

Hawaii and Nevada are tourist states. Who is surprised by high unemployment there?

Sechel
Sechel
3 years ago
Reply to  Felix_Mish

Hawaii has real industries that are at huge disadvantages. try to start a cattle ranch. its not easy

Casual_Observer
Casual_Observer
3 years ago

Percentages are misleading. Look at raw numbers of employed, incomes and GDP. Some of the states with low unemployment should have zero unemployment.

Eddie_T
Eddie_T
3 years ago

OT…..anybody else hearing about both Greece and Sweden making the ___-exit threats again, citing Brexit as a fine example of how to leave the Eurozone?

SAKMAN
SAKMAN
3 years ago
Reply to  Eddie_T

Varoufakis knew Greece needed to develop its own currency to get out, Tsipras didnt want to go along with that, and so Greece had to eat whatever the Germans were feeding them.

When you see them establishing their own currency you will know that they are serious.

Tengen
Tengen
3 years ago
Reply to  SAKMAN

Yep, I’ve read a few of Vauoufakis’ books, he goes into great detail about this. The time for them to dump the Euro was back in 2015, not now that they’ve already endured 5+ years of austerity and humiliation.

njbr
njbr
3 years ago
Reply to  Eddie_T

The EU members would be very happy to have Greece out.

Jojo
Jojo
3 years ago

This is from back in Nov. Still seems to apply, except for perhaps NV, which is heavily dependent on travel & tourism.

Midwestern states with few virus rules have low unemployment
By JOSH FUNK
November 1, 2020

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Five of the six states with the nation’s lowest unemployment rates are in the Midwest, have Republican governors and have almost no restrictions intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Frilton Miedman
Frilton Miedman
3 years ago
Reply to  Jojo

This may prove to be a brilliant, cost effective way to balance a state budget – simply kill off 5% of the aged, unproductive, pension collecting populace, and…woila!

Jojo
Jojo
3 years ago

Will put a dent in drug maker/sellers profits though when their heaviest users die.

BTW: It’s voilà.

Frilton Miedman
Frilton Miedman
3 years ago
Reply to  Jojo

I know, for humor sake I like “woila”, as it’s pronounced.

Again, gratz on your economic discovery on balancing Midwest state budgets, Nobel coming yer way.

rafterman
rafterman
3 years ago

How does that change the percentages?

Eddie_T
Eddie_T
3 years ago

Texas has roughly 14X more people in the adult workforce than South Dakota has people.

Cali is more like 20X. Got to keep it in perspective.

ToInfinityandBeyond
ToInfinityandBeyond
3 years ago
Reply to  Eddie_T

Not sure what point you are trying to make. The unemployment rates in the posted article are percentages.

Eddie_T
Eddie_T
3 years ago

The .5% drop in unemployment in SD (to 3%) means that 2000 people went back to work.

Texas unemployment went down by .9%….and we put 64,200 people back to work.

That’s my point.

.

KidHorn
KidHorn
3 years ago
Reply to  Eddie_T

That also means they have a lot more customers.

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