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18 states had jobless rates lower than U.S. rate in May 2022; 9 states and D.C. had higher rates

June 29, 2022

In May 2022, 18 states had unemployment rates lower than the U.S. figure of 3.6 percent, 9 states and the District of Columbia had higher rates, and 23 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation. The District of Columbia had the highest unemployment rate, at 5.7 percent, while Nebraska had the lowest jobless rate, at 1.9 percent.

States with unemployment rates significantly different from that of the United States, May 2022, seasonally adjusted
State Unemployment rate

District of Columbia

5.7%

New Mexico

5.1

Nevada

4.9

Alaska[1]

4.7

Illinois

4.6

Pennsylvania

4.6

Delaware

4.5

New York

4.4

California

4.3

Texas

4.2

United States

3.6

Florida

3.0

Georgia[1]

3.0

Virginia

3.0

Wisconsin

2.9

Oklahoma

2.8

Alabama[1]

2.7

Iowa

2.7

North Dakota

2.6

Idaho[1]

2.5

Montana

2.4

Kansas[1]

2.3

South Dakota

2.3

Vermont

2.3

Indiana

2.2

New Hampshire

2.1

Minnesota

2.0

Utah

2.0

Nebraska

1.9

[1] All-time low unemployment rate.

Among states that had unemployment rates significantly higher than that of the nation in May 2022, Alaska set an all-time low unemployment rate of 4.7 percent. (All state data begin in January 1976.)

Among states that had unemployment rates significantly lower than that of the nation in May 2022, Alabama (2.7 percent), Georgia (3.0 percent), Idaho (2.5 percent), and Kansas (2.3 percent) set all-time low unemployment rates.

These data are from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program and are seasonally adjusted. To learn more, see "State Employment and Unemployment — May 2022." Also see more charts and maps on state employment and unemployment. Estimates for the most recent month are preliminary.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, 18 states had jobless rates lower than U.S. rate in May 2022; 9 states and D.C. had higher rates at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2022/18-states-had-jobless-rates-lower-than-u-s-rate-in-may-2022-9-states-and-d-c-had-higher-rates.htm (visited March 28, 2024).

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