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Unemployment rates down over the year in 10 states, unchanged in 40 states and the District

August 23, 2018

From July 2017 to July 2018, unemployment rates declined in 10 states and showed little or no change in 40 states and the District of Columbia. The national unemployment rate, at 3.9 percent, decreased by 0.4 point percentage point over the 12 months ending July 2018.
Unemployment rates by state, seasonally adjusted, July 2018
State July 2018(p) July 2017 Over-the-year change(p)

Hawaii

 2.1% 2.3% -0.2

Iowa

 2.6 3.1 -0.5

North Dakota

 2.6 2.5 0.1

New Hampshire

 2.7 2.7 0.0

Colorado

 2.8 2.8 0.0

Vermont

 2.8 3.0 -0.2

Idaho

 2.9 3.1 -0.2

Nebraska

 2.9 2.9 0.0

Wisconsin

 2.9 3.3 -0.4

Maine

 3.0 3.5 -0.5

Minnesota

 3.0 3.4 -0.4

South Dakota

 3.1 3.4 -0.3

Utah

 3.1 3.3 -0.2

Virginia

 3.1 3.7 -0.6

Indiana

 3.4 3.6 -0.2

Kansas

 3.4 3.6 -0.2

Missouri

 3.4 3.6 -0.2

Tennessee

 3.5 3.5 0.0

Massachusetts

 3.6 3.7 -0.1

South Carolina

 3.6 4.2 -0.6

Arkansas

 3.7 3.7 0.0

Florida

 3.7 4.1 -0.4

Montana

 3.7 4.0 -0.3

Oklahoma

 3.8 4.2 -0.4

Wyoming

 3.8 4.0 -0.2

Delaware

 3.9 4.6 -0.7

Georgia

 3.9 4.6 -0.7

Oregon

 3.9 4.1 -0.2

Texas

 4.0 4.1 -0.1

Alabama

 4.1 4.1 0.0

North Carolina

 4.1 4.4 -0.3

Rhode Island

 4.1 4.4 -0.3

California

 4.2 4.7 -0.5

Illinois

 4.2 5.0 -0.8

New Jersey

 4.2 4.6 -0.4

Pennsylvania

 4.2 4.8 -0.6

Kentucky

 4.3 5.0 -0.7

Maryland

 4.3 4.1 0.2

Michigan

 4.3 4.5 -0.2

New York

 4.3 4.7 -0.4

Connecticut

 4.4 4.6 -0.2

Arizona

 4.6 4.7 -0.1

Nevada

 4.6 5.0 -0.4

Ohio

 4.6 5.1 -0.5

Washington

 4.6 4.8 -0.2

New Mexico

 4.7 6.1 -1.4

Mississippi

 4.8 5.1 -0.3

Louisiana

 4.9 5.0 -0.1

West Virginia

 5.4 5.1 0.3

District of Columbia

 5.6 6.2 -0.6

Alaska

 6.9 7.2 -0.3
Footnotes:

(p) = preliminary.

In July 2018, Hawaii had the lowest unemployment rate (2.1 percent) among the states, followed by Iowa and North Dakota (2.6 percent each). Alaska had the highest unemployment rate in July (6.9 percent), with the District of Columbia (5.6 percent) and West Virginia (5.4 percent) having the next highest rates.

The state unemployment data are from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program and are seasonally adjusted. Data for the most recent month are preliminary. To learn more, see “State Employment and Unemployment — July 2018.” For more charts and tables related to state employment and unemployment, see the state chart package.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Unemployment rates down over the year in 10 states, unchanged in 40 states and the District at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2018/unemployment-rates-down-over-the-year-in-10-states-unchanged-in-40-states-and-the-district.htm (visited April 25, 2024).

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