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Unemployment rate lowest in Hawaii, highest in Alaska, in October 2018

November 28, 2018

In October 2018, 14 states had unemployment rates lower than the U.S. rate of 3.7 percent, and 11 states and the District of Columbia had higher rates. The remaining 25 states had unemployment rates that were not significantly different from that of the nation as a whole.

State unemployment rates and difference from the U.S. rate, October 2018
State Unemployment rate Significantly different from U.S. rate?

United States

3.7%

Alabama

4.1 Not significantly different from U.S. rate

Alaska

6.4 Significantly higher than U.S. rate

Arizona

4.7 Significantly higher than U.S. rate

Arkansas

3.5 Not significantly different from U.S. rate

California

4.1 Significantly higher than U.S. rate

Colorado

3.2 Significantly lower than U.S. rate

Connecticut

4.2 Not significantly different from U.S. rate

Delaware

3.9 Not significantly different from U.S. rate

District of Columbia

5.6 Significantly higher than U.S. rate

Florida

3.4 Not significantly different from U.S. rate

Georgia

3.6 Not significantly different from U.S. rate

Hawaii

2.3 Significantly lower than U.S. rate

Idaho

2.7 Significantly lower than U.S. rate

Illinois

4.2 Not significantly different from U.S. rate

Indiana

3.5 Not significantly different from U.S. rate

Iowa

2.4 Significantly lower than U.S. rate

Kansas

3.3 Not significantly different from U.S. rate

Kentucky

4.5 Significantly higher than U.S. rate

Louisiana

5.0 Significantly higher than U.S. rate

Maine

3.4 Not significantly different from U.S. rate

Maryland

4.1 Not significantly different from U.S. rate

Massachusetts

3.5 Not significantly different from U.S. rate

Michigan

3.9 Not significantly different from U.S. rate

Minnesota

2.8 Significantly lower than U.S. rate

Mississippi

4.7 Significantly higher than U.S. rate

Missouri

3.1 Significantly lower than U.S. rate

Montana

3.7 Not significantly different from U.S. rate

Nebraska

2.8 Significantly lower than U.S. rate

Nevada

4.4 Significantly higher than U.S. rate

New Hampshire

2.6 Significantly lower than U.S. rate

New Jersey

4.1 Not significantly different from U.S. rate

New Mexico

4.6 Significantly higher than U.S. rate

New York

4.0 Not significantly different from U.S. rate

New York City

4.0 Not significantly different from U.S. rate

North Carolina

3.6 Not significantly different from U.S. rate

North Dakota

2.8 Significantly lower than U.S. rate

Ohio

4.6 Significantly higher than U.S. rate

Oklahoma

3.4 Not significantly different from U.S. rate

Oregon

3.8 Not significantly different from U.S. rate

Pennsylvania

4.1 Not significantly different from U.S. rate

Rhode Island

3.8 Not significantly different from U.S. rate

South Carolina

3.3 Not significantly different from U.S. rate

South Dakota

3.0 Significantly lower than U.S. rate

Tennessee

3.7 Not significantly different from U.S. rate

Texas

3.7 Not significantly different from U.S. rate

Utah

3.2 Significantly lower than U.S. rate

Vermont

2.8 Significantly lower than U.S. rate

Virginia

2.9 Significantly lower than U.S. rate

Washington

4.3 Significantly higher than U.S. rate

West Virginia

5.2 Significantly higher than U.S. rate

Wisconsin

3.0 Significantly lower than U.S. rate

Wyoming

4.1 Not significantly different from U.S. rate

Note: Data are preliminary.

Hawaii had the lowest unemployment rate in October, 2.3 percent. Iowa, New Hampshire, Idaho, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Vermont, and Virginia also had unemployment rates below 3.0 percent.

Alaska had the highest jobless rate, 6.4 percent. Louisiana, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia also had jobless rates of 5.0 percent or higher.

The unemployment rates in Texas (3.7 percent) and Washington (4.3 percent) set new series lows in October 2018. (All state data series begin in 1976.)

There were 18 states that had unemployment rate changes from October 2017 to October 2018, all of which were decreases. The largest decrease occurred in New Mexico, where the unemployment rate decreased from 6.0 percent to 4.6 percent, a change of −1.4 percentage points.

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 "State Employment and Unemployment — October 2018." Also see more charts and maps on state employment and unemployment.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Unemployment rate lowest in Hawaii, highest in Alaska, in October 2018 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2018/unemployment-rate-lowest-in-hawaii-highest-in-alaska-in-october-2018.htm (visited October 31, 2024).

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