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Unemployment rates down over the month in 38 states in May 2020

June 25, 2020

In May 2020, unemployment rates were lower in 38 states and the District of Columbia, higher in 3 states, and stable in 9 states. All 50 states and the District of Columbia had jobless rate increases from a year earlier.

State unemployment rates, January 2018 to May 2020, seasonally adjusted
StateJan 2018Feb 2018Mar 2018Apr 2018May 2018Jun 2018Jul 2018Aug 2018Sep 2018Oct 2018Nov 2018Dec 2018Jan 2019Feb 2019Mar 2019

Alabama

3.93.94.04.04.04.04.03.93.83.73.73.63.63.53.3

Alaska

6.76.76.66.66.56.56.46.46.36.36.26.26.16.16.1

Arizona

4.84.84.74.74.74.74.74.74.74.84.84.84.94.94.8

Arkansas

3.73.73.73.73.73.63.63.63.63.63.63.63.63.63.5

California

4.44.34.34.34.34.24.24.24.24.24.24.34.34.34.2

Colorado

3.03.03.03.13.13.23.23.23.33.33.33.23.23.13.0

Connecticut

4.54.54.44.34.24.24.14.04.03.93.93.93.83.83.7

Delaware

4.14.14.03.93.93.83.73.73.63.63.53.53.53.53.6

District of Columbia

5.85.85.85.85.75.75.75.65.65.65.75.75.85.85.7

Florida

3.93.93.83.73.73.63.53.43.43.43.43.43.43.43.4

Georgia

4.24.24.14.14.03.93.93.83.83.83.83.83.83.73.7

Hawaii

2.32.32.32.32.42.52.52.62.72.72.82.82.82.82.8

Idaho

3.03.03.02.92.92.92.92.82.82.92.92.92.92.92.9

Illinois

4.54.44.44.34.34.34.34.34.24.34.34.44.44.34.3

Indiana

3.33.33.43.53.53.53.53.53.53.53.63.63.63.53.5

Iowa

2.82.82.72.72.62.62.52.52.52.52.62.62.72.72.7

Kansas

3.43.43.43.33.33.33.23.23.23.23.33.33.33.33.2

Kentucky

4.34.34.34.34.44.44.44.44.34.34.34.34.24.24.2

Louisiana

4.74.84.95.05.05.05.04.94.94.84.84.74.74.64.5

Maine

3.13.13.23.23.23.33.33.33.33.33.33.33.23.23.1

Maryland

4.24.14.14.14.04.03.93.93.83.83.83.83.83.73.7

Massachusetts

3.63.53.53.53.43.43.33.33.33.23.23.13.13.13.0

Michigan

4.54.44.44.34.24.14.03.93.94.04.04.14.24.24.3

Minnesota

3.03.03.03.02.92.92.82.82.92.93.03.13.23.23.2

Mississippi

4.94.94.94.84.84.84.74.74.84.95.05.15.15.25.3

Missouri

3.43.43.33.33.23.13.03.03.03.03.13.23.23.23.2

Montana

3.83.83.73.73.73.63.63.63.63.63.53.53.53.53.5

Nebraska

2.92.92.92.92.92.92.92.92.92.93.03.03.03.13.1

Nevada

4.74.74.64.64.54.44.44.44.34.34.34.24.24.14.1

New Hampshire

2.72.72.72.62.62.62.52.52.52.52.52.52.52.52.5

New Jersey

4.54.54.44.34.24.14.03.93.83.83.83.83.73.63.5

New Mexico

5.25.15.04.94.84.84.84.84.84.94.94.95.05.05.0

New York

4.54.54.44.34.24.14.03.93.93.94.04.04.04.04.0

North Carolina

4.24.14.14.04.03.93.93.93.93.93.94.04.04.14.1

North Dakota

2.72.72.72.62.62.62.62.62.52.52.42.42.32.32.3

Ohio

4.54.54.54.64.64.54.54.44.44.44.44.34.34.24.1

Oklahoma

3.93.83.73.63.53.43.33.23.23.23.23.33.33.33.2

Oregon

4.14.14.14.04.03.93.94.04.04.14.24.24.24.24.1

Pennsylvania

4.64.54.44.34.34.24.24.24.14.14.14.14.14.14.1

Rhode Island

4.34.34.24.14.03.93.93.83.83.83.83.73.73.73.6

South Carolina

3.93.83.63.53.43.43.33.33.33.33.33.43.43.43.4

South Dakota

3.23.23.13.13.13.13.03.03.03.03.03.13.13.13.2

Tennessee

3.63.63.63.63.63.63.53.53.53.43.43.43.43.43.5

Texas

4.04.04.04.03.93.93.83.73.73.73.73.73.73.63.5

Utah

3.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.03.03.03.02.92.92.82.8

Vermont

2.72.72.72.62.62.62.52.52.52.42.42.42.42.32.3

Virginia

3.33.23.23.13.13.03.02.92.92.92.93.03.03.02.9

Washington

4.64.54.54.54.44.44.44.44.44.44.54.54.54.54.5

West Virginia

5.45.45.45.45.35.35.25.15.15.05.04.94.94.84.8

Wisconsin

3.03.03.03.03.03.03.03.03.03.03.03.03.13.23.2

Wyoming

4.04.03.93.93.93.93.93.93.93.83.73.63.53.53.4
State unemployment rates, January 2018 to May 2020, seasonally adjusted
StateApr 2019May 2019Jun 2019Jul 2019Aug 2019Sep 2019Oct 2019Nov 2019Dec 2019Jan 2020Feb 2020Mar 2020Apr 2020May 2020

Alabama

3.23.02.92.82.82.72.72.72.72.72.73.013.89.9

Alaska

6.16.26.26.26.26.26.16.16.16.05.85.213.512.6

Arizona

4.84.84.84.74.64.64.54.54.54.54.56.113.48.9

Arkansas

3.53.53.63.63.63.63.53.53.53.53.55.010.89.5

California

4.24.14.04.03.93.93.93.93.93.93.95.516.416.3

Colorado

2.92.82.72.72.62.62.52.52.52.52.55.212.210.2

Connecticut

3.73.73.73.73.73.73.83.83.83.73.83.48.39.4

Delaware

3.63.73.73.83.93.94.04.04.04.03.95.014.915.8

District of Columbia

5.65.55.45.45.35.35.35.35.35.25.16.011.78.9

Florida

3.33.23.23.13.02.92.92.82.92.82.84.413.814.5

Georgia

3.63.63.53.43.33.23.23.13.13.13.14.612.69.7

Hawaii

2.72.72.72.72.72.72.72.62.72.72.72.423.822.6

Idaho

2.92.92.92.92.92.92.92.92.92.82.72.511.88.9

Illinois

4.24.14.03.93.83.73.73.73.73.53.44.217.215.2

Indiana

3.43.33.33.23.23.23.23.23.23.13.13.017.512.3

Iowa

2.72.72.72.72.82.82.82.82.82.82.83.311.010.0

Kansas

3.23.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.12.811.910.0

Kentucky

4.34.34.34.34.34.34.34.34.34.34.25.216.611.0

Louisiana

4.54.54.64.74.95.15.25.25.25.35.26.715.113.3

Maine

3.13.02.92.92.92.93.03.03.03.13.23.010.49.3

Maryland

3.73.73.63.63.63.53.43.43.43.33.33.310.19.9

Massachusetts

3.02.92.92.92.82.82.82.82.82.82.82.816.216.3

Michigan

4.34.24.24.14.03.93.93.93.93.83.64.324.021.2

Minnesota

3.23.23.23.23.23.23.33.33.33.23.12.98.79.9

Mississippi

5.35.45.45.55.55.65.65.65.65.55.45.116.310.6

Missouri

3.23.13.13.23.23.33.43.43.43.53.53.910.210.1

Montana

3.53.53.53.53.53.53.53.53.53.53.53.611.99.0

Nebraska

3.13.13.13.13.13.03.03.03.02.92.94.08.75.2

Nevada

4.04.03.93.93.83.73.73.73.73.63.66.930.125.3

New Hampshire

2.52.52.52.62.62.62.62.62.62.62.62.417.114.5

New Jersey

3.43.33.33.33.53.63.73.73.73.83.83.716.315.2

New Mexico

5.04.94.94.84.84.84.84.84.84.84.86.311.99.2

New York

4.04.03.93.93.93.93.93.93.93.83.74.115.314.5

North Carolina

4.14.04.03.93.83.73.73.63.63.63.64.312.912.9

North Dakota

2.32.42.42.42.42.42.42.42.42.32.22.09.19.1

Ohio

4.14.14.14.24.24.14.14.14.14.14.15.817.613.7

Oklahoma

3.23.23.23.33.33.33.43.43.43.33.22.914.712.6

Oregon

4.03.93.83.73.63.53.43.43.43.33.33.514.914.2

Pennsylvania

4.14.24.34.44.54.64.64.64.64.74.75.816.113.1

Rhode Island

3.63.63.63.63.53.53.53.53.53.43.44.718.116.3

South Carolina

3.33.12.92.72.52.42.42.42.42.42.53.212.812.5

South Dakota

3.23.33.33.33.33.43.43.43.43.43.33.110.99.4

Tennessee

3.53.53.43.43.43.33.33.33.33.33.43.315.511.3

Texas

3.53.43.43.53.53.53.53.53.53.53.55.113.513.0

Utah

2.72.72.62.52.52.52.42.42.42.52.53.810.48.5

Vermont

2.32.32.42.42.42.42.42.42.42.42.43.116.512.7

Virginia

2.92.82.82.72.72.72.72.72.72.72.63.311.29.4

Washington

4.44.44.34.24.24.14.04.04.03.93.85.116.315.1

West Virginia

4.74.74.74.84.95.05.15.15.15.04.96.015.912.9

Wisconsin

3.33.33.43.43.43.43.53.53.53.53.53.113.612.0

Wyoming

3.53.53.63.73.73.73.73.73.73.73.73.89.68.8

Nevada had the highest unemployment rate in May 2020, 25.3 percent, followed by Hawaii, 22.6 percent, and Michigan, 21.2 percent. The rates in Delaware (15.8 percent), Florida (14.5 percent), Massachusetts (16.3 percent), and Minnesota (9.9 percent) set new highs. (All state series begin in 1976.) Nebraska had the lowest unemployment rate, 5.2 percent.

In May, the largest unemployment rate decreases occurred in Mississippi (−5.7 percentage points), Kentucky (−5.6 points), and Indiana (−5.2 points). Rates declined over the month by at least 2.0 percentage points in an additional 18 states and the District of Columbia. The over-the-month jobless rate increases occurred in Minnesota (+1.2 percentage points), Connecticut (+1.1 points), and Florida (+0.7 point).

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 — May 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, Unemployment rates down over the month in 38 states in May 2020 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2020/unemployment-rates-down-over-the-month-in-38-states-in-may-2020.htm (visited March 29, 2024).

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