by Calculated Risk on 4/17/2020 10:14:00 AM

From the BLS: Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Summary

Unemployment rates were higher in March in 29 states and the District of Columbia, lower in 3 states, and stable in 18 states, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Twenty-three states had jobless rate increases from a year earlier, 3 states had decreases, and 24 states and the District had little or no change. The national unemployment rate rose by 0.9 percentage point over the month to 4.4 percent and was 0.6 point higher than in March 2019
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North Dakota had the lowest unemployment rate in March, 2.2 percent, while Louisiana had the highest rate, 6.9 percent. The rates in Alaska (5.6 percent) and Idaho (2.6 percent) set new series lows. (All state series begin in 1976.)
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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 4 states and D.C. have an unemployment rate at or above 6% (dark blue).  These are D.C., Louisiana, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

A total of five states are at a series low: Alaska, Idaho, Maryland, North Dakota and Oregon.

In April, most, if not all, states will have unemployment rates well above 10%.