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43 states at historically high unemployment rates in April 2020

May 28, 2020

In April 2020, unemployment rates in 43 states were at their highest levels since the state unemployment data began in January 1976. Unemployment rates in Hawaii and Nevada exceeded their previous highs by more than 10.0 percentage points each, while the rates in Michigan, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont exceeded their previous highs by more than 5.0 points each.

State unemployment rates, April 2020, seasonally adjusted
State April 2020 unemployment rate [p] Historical high Historical low

Alabama

12.9% Dec. 1982: 15.5% Feb. 2020: 2.7%

Alaska

12.9 April 2020[*]: 12.9% Mar. 2020: 5.2%

Arizona

12.6 April 2020[*]: 12.6% Jul. 2007: 3.6%

Arkansas

10.2 Feb. 1983: 10.3% Feb. 2020: 3.5%

California

15.5 April 2020[*]: 15.5% Feb. 2020: 3.9%

Colorado

11.3 April 2020[*]: 11.3% Feb. 2020: 2.5%

Connecticut

7.9 Mar. 1976: 9.8% Oct. 2000: 2.2%

Delaware

14.3 April 2020[*]: 14.3% Jun. 1988: 3.0%

District of Columbia

11.1 Sept. 1983: 11.3% Sept. 1989: 4.8%

Florida

12.9 April 2020[*]: 12.9% Feb. 2020: 2.8%

Georgia

11.9 April 2020[*]: 11.9% Feb. 2020: 3.1%

Hawaii

22.3 April 2020[*]: 22.3% Nov. 2017: 2.2%

Idaho

11.5 April 2020[*]: 11.5% Mar. 2020: 2.5%

Illinois

16.4 April 2020[*]: 16.4% Feb. 2020: 3.4%

Indiana

16.9 April 2020[*]: 16.9% Oct. 2000: 2.9%

Iowa

10.2 April 2020[*]: 10.2% Mar. 2000: 2.4%

Kansas

11.2 April 2020[*]: 11.2% Mar. 2020: 2.8%

Kentucky

15.4 April 2020[*]: 15.4% Aug. 2000: 4.1%

Louisiana

14.5 April 2020[*]: 14.5% Oct. 2007: 4.1%

Maine

10.6 April 2020[*]: 10.6% Sept. 2019: 2.9%

Maryland

9.9 April 2020[*]: 9.9% Mar. 2020: 3.3%

Massachusetts

15.1 April 2020[*]: 15.1% Oct. 2000: 2.6%

Michigan

22.7 April 2020[*]: 22.7% Mar. 2000: 3.2%

Minnesota

8.1 Jan. 1983: 8.9% Feb. 1999: 2.5%

Mississippi

15.4 April 2020[*]: 15.4% Aug. 2018: 4.7%

Missouri

9.7 Mar. 1983: 10.6% Oct. 2018: 3.0%

Montana

11.3 April 2020[*]: 11.3% Feb. 2007: 2.9%

Nebraska

8.3 April 2020[*]: 8.3% Oct. 1990: 2.3%

Nevada

28.2 April 2020[*]: 28.2% Feb. 2020: 3.6%

New Hampshire

16.3 April 2020[*]: 16.3% Mar. 1988: 2.2%

New Jersey

15.3 April 2020[*]: 15.3% Jul. 2019: 3.3%

New Mexico

11.3 April 2020[*]: 11.3% Sept. 2007: 3.7%

New York

14.5 April 2020[*]: 14.5% Feb. 2020: 3.7%

North Carolina

12.2 April 2020[*]: 12.2% Apr. 1999: 3.0%

North Dakota

8.5 April 2020[*]: 8.5% Mar. 2020: 2.0%

Ohio

16.8 April 2020[*]: 16.8% Feb. 2001: 3.7%

Oklahoma

13.7 April 2020[*]: 13.7% Mar. 2020: 2.9%

Oregon

14.2 April 2020[*]: 14.2% Feb. 2020: 3.3%

Pennsylvania

15.1 April 2020[*]: 15.1% May 2000: 4.0%

Rhode Island

17.0 April 2020[*]: 17.0% Jul. 1988: 3.0%

South Carolina

12.1 April 2020[*]: 12.1% Jan. 2020: 2.4%

South Dakota

10.2 April 2020[*]: 10.2% Jul. 2000: 2.4%

Tennessee

14.7 April 2020[*]: 14.7% Mar. 2020: 3.3%

Texas

12.8 April 2020[*]: 12.8% Jun. 2019: 3.4%

Utah

9.7 April 2020[*]: 9.7% Dec. 2019: 2.4%

Vermont

15.6 April 2020[*]: 15.6% May 2019: 2.3%

Virginia

10.6 April 2020[*]: 10.6% Nov. 2000: 2.1%

Washington

15.4 April 2020[*]: 15.4% Feb. 2020: 3.8%

West Virginia

15.2 Feb. 1983: 18.8% Jul. 2008: 4.0%

Wisconsin

14.1 April 2020[*]: 14.1% Dec. 2018: 3.0%

Wyoming

9.2 Dec. 1986: 9.4% May 1979: 2.5%

[p] Preliminary

[*] Current reference period.

In April 2020, Nevada had the highest unemployment rate (28.2 percent), followed by Michigan (22.7 percent), and Hawaii (22.3 percent). Connecticut had the lowest unemployment rate, 7.9 percent. The next lowest rates were in Minnesota (8.1 percent) and Nebraska (8.3 percent).

The District of Columbia and 27 states had unemployment rates lower than the U.S. rate of 14.7 percent in April 2020, 10 states had higher rates, and 13 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. Data for the most recent month are preliminary. To learn more, see "State Employment and Unemployment — April 2020." 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, 43 states at historically high unemployment rates in April 2020 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2020/43-states-at-historically-high-unemployment-rates-in-april-2020.htm (visited October 31, 2024).

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