California, Hawaii, and Mississippi at record low unemployment rates in December 2017
January 26, 2018
Unemployment rates were lower in December 2017 than in November in 6 states and the District of Columbia, higher in 1 state, and stable in 43 states. Twenty-five states had jobless rate decreases from December 2016, 2 states had increases, and 23 states and the District had little or no change over the year.
Hawaii had the lowest unemployment rate in December 2017, 2.0 percent. The rates in California (4.3 percent), Hawaii (2.0 percent), and Mississippi (4.6 percent) set new series lows. (All state series begin in 1976.) Alaska had the highest jobless rate in December 2017, 7.3 percent.
The state unemployment 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 "State Employment and Unemployment — December 2017" (HTML) (PDF). For more charts and tables related to state employment and unemployment, see the state chart package.
OF INTEREST
Recent editions of Spotlight on Statistics
- Fatal Injuries to Foreign-Born Hispanic or Latino Workers
Explores the industries, occupations, and events related to these fatalities.
- For-Profit, Nonprofit, and Government Sector Jobs in 2022
Compares the labor force characteristics and experiences of workers in the for-profit, nonprofit, government, and self-employed sectors.
- Union Membership, Activity, and Compensation in 2022
Focuses on trends in union membership, work stoppages, and pay and benefits among union members.
- A Look at a Neat Industry: Distilleries
Examines trends in employment, establishments, wages, and consumer prices for distilleries.
- Healthcare Occupations: Characteristics of the Employed
Compares the demographic characteristics of workers in healthcare occupations.
United States Department of Labor
