Changes in state unemployment rates: June 2010–June 2011

From June 2010 to June 2011, Nevada again recorded the largest jobless rate decrease (-2.5 percentage points). Two other states had rate decreases of at least 2.0 percentage points—Michigan (-2.1 points) and Indiana (-2.0 points).

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Eleven additional states had smaller but also statistically significant decreases over the year. The remaining 36 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 states, 12.4 percent in June. California had the next highest rate, 11.8 percent. North Dakota reported the lowest jobless rate, 3.2 percent, followed by Nebraska, 4.1 percent, and South Dakota, 4.8 percent.

In June, 26 states posted jobless rates significantly lower than the U.S. figure of 9.2 percent, 6 states and the District of Columbia recorded measurably higher rates, and 18 states 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. To learn more, see "Regional and state Employment and Unemployment — June 2011" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL-11-1084.