JULY JOBS REPORT: Current Unemployment Rate by State
163,000 jobs were added in July, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate stayed unchanged at about 8.3 percent.
Rank |
State Unemployment Rates |
Current Unemployment rate by State |
|---|
| 1 | NORTH DAKOTA | 2.9% |
| 2 | NEBRASKA | 3.8% |
| 3 | SOUTH DAKOTA | 4.3% |
| 4 | OKLAHOMA | 4.7% |
| 4 | VERMONT | 4.7% |
| 6 | NEW HAMPSHIRE | 5.1% |
| 7 | IOWA | 5.2% |
| 8 | WYOMING | 5.4% |
| 9 | MINNESOTA | 5.6% |
| 10 | VIRGINIA | 5.7% |
| 11 | MASSACHUSETTS | 6.0% |
| 11 | UTAH | 6.0% |
| 13 | KANSAS | 6.1% |
| 14 | MONTANA | 6.3% |
| 15 | HAWAII | 6.4% |
| 16 | NEW MEXICO | 6.5% |
| 17 | DELAWARE | 6.7% |
| 18 | MARYLAND | 6.9% |
| 19 | TEXAS | 7.0% |
| 19 | WEST VIRGINIA | 7.0% |
| 19 | WISCONSIN | 7.0% |
| 22 | MISSOURI | 7.1% |
| 23 | ARKANSAS | 7.2% |
| 23 | OHIO | 7.2% |
| 25 | ALASKA | 7.3% |
| 26 | LOUISIANA | 7.5% |
| 26 | MAINE | 7.5% |
| 26 | PENNSYLVANIA | 7.5% |
| 29 | IDAHO | 7.7% |
| 30 | ALABAMA | 7.8% |
| 31 | INDIANA | 8.0% |
| 32 | CONNECTICUT | 8.1% |
| 32 | TENNESSEE | 8.1% |
| 34 | ARIZONA | 8.2% |
| 34 | COLORADO | 8.2% |
| 34 | KENTUCKY | 8.2% |
| 37 | WASHINGTON | 8.3% |
| 38 | OREGON | 8.5% |
| 39 | FLORIDA | 8.6% |
| 39 | MICHIGAN | 8.6% |
| 41 | ILLINOIS | 8.7% |
| 42 | MISSISSIPPI | 8.8% |
| 43 | NEW YORK | 8.9% |
| 44 | GEORGIA | 9.0% |
| 45 | DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA | 9.1% |
| 46 | NORTH CAROLINA | 9.4% |
| 46 | SOUTH CAROLINA | 9.4% |
| 48 | NEW JERSEY | 9.6% |
| 49 | CALIFORNIA | 10.7% |
| 50 | RHODE ISLAND | 10.9% |
| 51 | NEVADA | 11.6% |
Source: CNN
What is unemployment rate?
Unemployment (or joblessness), as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks.[1] The unemployment rate is a measure of the prevalence of unemployment and it is calculated as a percentage by dividing the number of unemployed individuals by all individuals currently in the labor force. During periods of recession, an economy usually experiences a relatively high unemployment rate.[2] In a 2011 news story, BusinessWeek reported, “More than 200 million people globally are out of work, a record high, as almost two-thirds of advanced economies and half of developing countries are experiencing a slowdown in employment growth”.[3]
The percentage of the total labor force that is unemployed but actively seeking employment and willing to work.
Definition of ‘Unemployment Rate’
The percentage of the total labor force that is unemployed but actively seeking employment and willing to work.
From 1948 to 2004, the monthly U.S. unemployment rate has ranged between about 2.5% to 10.8%, averaging approximately 5.6%. The unemployment rate is considered a lagging indicator, confirming but not foreshadowing long-term market trends.