by Calculated Risk on 12/21/2018 04:50:00 PM

From the BLS: Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Summary

Unemployment rates were lower in November in 6 states, higher in 2 states, and stable in 42 states and the District of Columbia, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Eighteen states had jobless rate decreases from a year earlier and 32 states and the District had little or no change.
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Hawaii and Iowa had the lowest unemployment rates in November, 2.4 percent each. The rates in Idaho (2.6 percent), Missouri (3.0 percent), and New York (3.9 percent) set new series lows. (All state series begin in 1976.) Alaska had the highest jobless rate, 6.3 percent.
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Click on graph for larger image.

This graph shows the number of states (and D.C.) with unemployment rates at or above certain levels since January 1976.

At the worst of the great recession, there were 11 states with an unemployment rate at or above 11% (red).

Currently only one state, Alaska, has an unemployment rate at or above 6% (dark blue). Four states have unemployment rates above 5%; Alaska, D.C., Louisiana and West Virginia.

Three states were at new series lows, and a total of nine states are at the series low.