Over-the-year changes in state unemployment rates, May 2010–2011

From May 2010 to May 2011, Nevada recorded the largest jobless rate decrease (−2.8 percentage points). Two other states had rate decreases of more than 2.0 percentage points—Michigan (−2.5 points) and Indiana (−2.2 points).

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Nineteen additional states had smaller but also statistically significant decreases over the year. The remaining 28 states and the District of Columbia registered unemployment rates that were not appreciably different from those of a year earlier.

Nevada continued to register the highest unemployment rate among the states, 12.1 percent in May. California recorded the next highest rate, 11.7 percent. North Dakota reported the lowest jobless rate, 3.2 percent, followed by Nebraska, 4.1 percent, and New Hampshire and South Dakota, 4.8 percent each.

In May, 25 states posted jobless rates significantly lower than the U.S. figure of 9.1 percent, 5 states recorded measurably higher rates, and 20 states and the District of Columbia had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation.

These data are from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program and are seasonally adjusted. Data for the most recent month are preliminary. To learn more, see "Regional and State Employment and Unemployment — May 2011" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL-11-0892.