State Rankings: Unemployment Rates for States

Rank -State - Rate

1 NORTH DAKOTA 3.6
2 SOUTH DAKOTA 4.5
3 NEBRASKA 4.8
4 NEW HAMPSHIRE 5.9
5 VERMONT 6.0
6 HAWAII 6.3
7 KANSAS 6.5
8 IOWA 6.8
8 MINNESOTA 6.8
8 OKLAHOMA 6.8
8 WYOMING 6.8
12 LOUISIANA 7.0
12 VIRGINIA 7.0
14 MARYLAND 7.1
15 UTAH 7.2
16 MONTANA 7.3
17 ARKANSAS 7.5
18 ALASKA 7.9
18 WISCONSIN 7.9
20 COLORADO 8.0
20 MAINE 8.0
22 NEW MEXICO 8.2
22 NEW YORK 8.2
22 TEXAS 8.2
25 DELAWARE 8.5
25 WEST VIRGINIA 8.5
27 CONNECTICUT 8.8
27 IDAHO 8.8
29 WASHINGTON 8.9
30 MASSACHUSETTS 9.0
31 MISSOURI 9.1
32 PENNSYLVANIA 9.2
33 ARIZONA 9.6
33 NEW JERSEY 9.6
35 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 10.0
35 GEORGIA 10.0
35 KENTUCKY 10.0
35 NORTH CAROLINA 10.0
39 INDIANA 10.1
39 TENNESSEE 10.1
41 ALABAMA 10.3
42 ILLINOIS 10.4
43 OHIO 10.5
43 OREGON 10.5
45 SOUTH CAROLINA 10.7
46 MISSISSIPPI 11.0
47 FLORIDA 11.4
48 RHODE ISLAND 12.0
49 CALIFORNIA 12.3
50 MICHIGAN 13.2
51 NEVADA 14.2

Source

Just my opinion. I could be completely wrong, but it looks like the more liberal the state the higher the unemployment rate.
Some one with more time than me should look into that.
Great find, thanks for the post …s&f

As bad as this situation is in Georgia I find myself suddenly very glad that I don't live in Nevada! Over 14%? Man oh man.

reply to post by Hefficide


Yah… Pennsylvania here. 9.2% ouch!
I’ve slowly watched my carpentry business come to almost a complete halt since January.

reply to post by murfdog


I don't think that theory holds water. Vermont, Hawaii, Iowa and Minnesota are among the most liberal states.

I think you need to look at the industrial demographics of the states. Heavy manufacturing and heavy tourism - high unemployment. Hawaii is a bit of an odd case. The employment is heavily impacted by the military and associated/supporting jobs which have remained strong. Additionally, Hawaii has a high percentage of non-US tourism, a greater percentage than Las Vegas.

Originally posted by murfdog
Just my opinion. I could be completely wrong, but it looks like the more liberal the state the higher the unemployment rate.
Some one with more time than me should look into that.
Great find, thanks for the post …s&f

As much as I'd like to, I don't see that correlation. There are some examples, but there are just as many on the list that break that assessment. For example, SC, NC, Miss, Alabama, Kentcuky, Idaho, & Georgia are all strongly Republican states. Yet all of them are in the bottom 3rd of the list. Conversely, Vermont, Hawaii, Iowa, Minn, and New Hampshire are Democratic (some more strongly than others) and are in the top 3rd of lowest unemployment rates.

I think a far more accurate correlation can be made between states which experienced huge housing booms and unrealistic home valuations based on exorbitant property taxes and greedy governments who benefitted from a $200,000 home being valued at $500,000 vs states in the heartland who maintained low property taxes and experienced little to no boom. How much of the economy of California was based on new construction over the past 10 years, either directly or indirectly? Now look at a state like North Dakota who's population remained relatively constant and maintained an economy based on steady, dependable production rather than flash in the pan boom industries.

Keep in mind that these numbers are very likely way off of reality. They play with the unemployment numbers such that 90% of the population could be unemployed for 5 years and the number would still be 10%. If you stop looking for work because you cannot find it then you are no longer "unemployed" by their definition. If you are working minimum wage after having previously worked for much more then you are gainfully employed by their measure as well. Its bad and given that 90% of our GDP is probably consumer spending we're on the verge of becoming Zombieville.

As much as I'd like to, I don't see that correlation. There are some examples, but there are just as many on the list that break that assessment. For example, SC, NC, Miss, Alabama, Kentcuky, Idaho, & Georgia are all strongly Republican states. Yet all of them are in the bottom 3rd of the list. Conversely, Vermont, Hawaii, Iowa, Minn, and New Hampshire are Democratic (some more strongly than others) and are in the top 3rd of lowest unemployment rates.

If you look at the percentage of black population there is a correlation. I don't think its liberal/conservative because its all happening under a progressive congress - the 110th and 111th. They are driving business and jobs out of the country and pumping more and more to Wall St while handing us the tax bill (~$200000 per person). It would be interesting to see the breakdown by race.

[edit on 13-8-2010 by ararisq]

reply to post by murfdog


It does have something to do with it, but for the most part population is key. When you see a small populated large state with a liberal government, you can bet it has something to do with Government. Oregon for example has had taxes raised twice since the recession, one specifically targeting small businesses.

Originally posted by ararisq
If you look at the percentage of black population there is a correlation.

Where did this come from? The rest of your reply, OK... good points. This statement, however, seems to have come out of left field and is going in a dangerous direction. Based on this: www.statemaster.com... you've got as many clean misses as hits, very similar to the previous liberal comment.

reply to post by burdman30ott6


I agree that the collapse of the housing bubble did not affect N.D. or S.D. as bad as the rest of the country. Those states have more rural communities so their banks tend to be more cautious when lending compared to an oversize city where banks are focused on getting every last penny.

[edit on 13-8-2010 by bputman]

WooHoo! Florida # 47!!

I agree with others that this has everything to do with the housing market. On top of that would be the tourist market. When times get tough, people stop vacationing and throwing money away on trinkets.

Florida got hit hard by both scenarios.

Still, I think this also has a lot to do with unemployment extensions. I know some people need the added time, but I also know that here in Tallahassee, we have 4 pages of help wanted ads!

An awful lot of people these days have made themselves unhireable either through drugs, crimes, or just being unemployed for too long. It is a shame, but once the construction industry dried up, there wasn't a lot of fall back jobs for many, many people with records or habits.

Keep in mind these numbers aren't even close to an accurate reflection of the true unemployment figures.

According to usdebtclock it's really 18.23%

[edit on 13-8-2010 by unityemissions]

It`s the overall picture of it that I don`t like. This isn`t good by any means, politics or no politics. If this rate continues to rise, with no show of getting better between now and the end of next month, I have a feeling our economic system can be written off as dead by this years end.

The MSM keeps trying to paint a nice rosey picture to show all the people just how great all this government bail out and stimulus money has worked. Well, to me, that whole money show was nothing more than putting a band-aid on an amputated limb, just to see if it will bring the dead limb back to life. A friend of mine told me the other day, he heard that Freddy and Fanny want a new batch of money, not the money that is left from the last time, but a whole new batch. All I can say is, I hope the H he is wrong. If things do collapse, well then, all of this new money can be used as a never ending supply of toilet paper.

reply to post by burdman30ott6


Yah, I agree the housing bubble is certainly the cause of the vast majority of this recession, depression depending on the state you live in I guess.
But the bubble popped in 2007and 2008 and it seams this government just dose not get it. There is no way in hell we are going to see any kind of turn around in this economy until we have job growth. You can tax as many bad rich folk making over $200,000 all you want, but it will not create any real jobs. In fact that is what’s making things worse all around.
It’s a vicious cycle that feeds on it self. Employers will not higher for fear of higher taxes, higher insurance costs and an administration that appears to be hostile toward business. Then you have employees who are the consumers of are country also holding on to there cash because they fear being laid off at any given time.

Originally posted by murfdog
reply to post by burdman30ott6

 

Yah, I agree the housing bubble is certainly the cause of the vast majority of this recession, depression depending on the state you live in I guess.
But the bubble popped in 2007and 2008 and it seams this government just dose not get it. There is no way in hell we are going to see any kind of turn around in this economy until we have job growth. You can tax as many bad rich folk making over $200,000 all you want, but it will not create any real jobs. In fact that is what’s making things worse all around.

I believe your right on the mark with it. And what kind of jobs are they creating? Short term jobs.......if any, or more government jobs because they feel they need to control more and more things in our lives.

It’s a vicious cycle that feeds on it self. Employers will not higher for fear of higher taxes, higher insurance costs and an administration that appears to be hostile toward business. Then you have employees who are the consumers of are country also holding on to there cash because they fear being laid off at any given time.

Spot on again. But yet the government doesn`t see it that way. In reality, I believe they do see it. I believe they have an agenda in all of this. It`s called crash the old system so they can start a new one of their choice.

reply to post by FiatLux


Yah, good observation, you may be right about that. The question is what sort of new system will we be looking at and will the constitution survive?
As far as government jobs go you have to remember they are not self sufficient jobs. The department of energy doesn’t create electric or gas, the department of agriculture doesn’t grow any food and the department of commerce doesn’t create wealth etc., etc. All these government entities and the people they employ are paid by taking money from a part of are economy that dose produce something, the privet sector.

Originally posted by murfdog
reply to post by FiatLux

 

Yah, good observation, you may be right about that. The question is what sort of new system will we be looking at and will the constitution survive?

Good question. As for what kind of system will we be looking at? Well, it`s not what kind of system at this point we should ask, but WHO will come up with a new one if this is true. Will it be made with imput from the people or even someone who cares about the people, or will it be just be another system made to line the pockets of those who want to control the population? I quess only time will tell on that. As for the constitution, if it does survive all of this, and a GOOD system is put in place, my thought would be to take it, and go through it, and do away with some of the garbage that has been added to it over the years, such as the ICC, which is nothing more than the governments way of sticking their noses into the state and local affairs, and used as a leverage tool to justify their need to be over everything.

As far as government jobs go you have to remember they are not self sufficient jobs. The department of energy doesn’t create electric or gas, the department of agriculture doesn’t grow any food and the department of commerce doesn’t create wealth etc., etc. All these government entities and the people they employ are paid by taking money from a part of are economy that dose produce something, the privet sector.

How well I know. And even this would fail. How? Well, for one, there has to be enough people working, making enough money to pay the taxes to cover such costs. How is there going to be enough said money, if the unemployment rate keeps going up, and you have fewer and fewer people paying taxes? You can only keep raising the amount of taxes on those who ARE working for so long, before they turn against the government. It`s a lose lose situation for the government in this whole mess.

The only good thing in all of this is, even if the system falls apart, the people will survive it in the end. But the government? Remember, it`s them that have to answer to the public when it`s all done. Who would want to be in those shoes, better yet, who would want to even be near those shoes when that happens?


[edit on 14-8-2010 by FiatLux]

reply to post by bputman


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


ahem...

the official rates do not reflect the nations overall unemployment rate of 9.5%


i began with the 19 listed states that are officially above 9.5% jobless
added all the states rates & divided to get a 10.83% average


i then added & divided by 31 all the states with joblessness below 9.5%
and the average unemployment results in a 7.06% average.


19 states @ 10.83%
31 states @ 7.06%

result is average unemployment: 8.94%
~which is not the 9.5% rate acknowledged by the BLS~

it seems even these numbers are fudged, rigged, false, manufactured...

Yup sounds about right for FL. There are no jobs here and more and more places are shutting down. I just got a job working online from home, thank goodness! Usually at this time of year stores hire for back to school and holiday shopping and nobody is hiring for that. Most places say they won't be hiring extra help this year and others say they will hire but not until Nov/Dec. I am so glad I am getting out of this state, it's really getting bad in some areas. The area I live in will be a ghost town is some sense when the space shuttle program finally shuts down.