South Dakota had lowest unemployment rate in 2002

March 03, 2003

South Dakota posted the lowest annual average unemployment rate for 2002 at 3.1 percent.

States with the lowest unemployment rates, 2002
[Chart data—TXT]

Nebraska had the next lowest rate at 3.6 percent, followed by Vermont at 3.7 percent. Two States had average unemployment rates of 4.0 percent: Iowa and North Dakota.

Overall, 32 States had unemployment rates below the national average of 5.8 percent in 2002. All seven States in the West North Central division and all six in New England posted rates below the U.S. rate.

These data are a product of the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program. To learn more, see State and Regional Unemployment, 2002 Annual Averages, news release USDL 03-90.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Editor's Desk, South Dakota had lowest unemployment rate in 2002 on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2003/mar/wk1/art01.htm (visited May 21, 2013).

OF INTEREST

Spotlight on Statistics: Productivity

This edition of Spotlight on Statistics examines labor productivity trends from 2000 through 2010 for selected industries and sectors within the nonfarm business sector of the U.S. economy.  Read more »