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December Unemployment Numbers: Lower in Eleven States, Higher in Four
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment rates were lower in December in 11 states, higher in four states, and stable in 35 states and the District of Columbia, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Eight states had jobless rate decreases from a year earlier, one state had an increase, and 41 states and the District had little or no change. The national unemployment rate, 3.5 percent, was unchanged over the month but was 0.4 percentage point lower than in December 2018.
State unemployment rates for January 2020 will be released in February 2020.
2019 State Monthly Unemployment Rates
| State |
Jan. |
Feb. |
March |
April |
May |
June |
July |
Aug. |
Sept. |
Oct. |
Nov. |
Dec. |
| Alabama |
3.8 |
3.7 |
3.7 |
3.8 |
3.7 |
3.5 |
3.3 |
3.1 |
3.5 |
2.8 |
2.7 |
2.7 |
| Alaska |
6.5 |
6.5 |
6.5 |
6.5 |
6.4 |
6.4 |
6.3 |
6.2 |
6.2 |
6.2 |
6.1 |
6.1 |
| Arizona |
4.9 |
5.1 |
5.0 |
4.9 |
4.9 |
4.9 |
4.9 |
5.0 |
4.9 |
4.8 |
4.7 |
4.6 |
| Arkansas |
3.7 |
3.7 |
3.7 |
3.6 |
3.6 |
3.5 |
3.4 |
3.4 |
3.4 |
3.5 |
3.6 |
3.6 |
| California |
4.2 |
4.2 |
4.3 |
4.3 |
4.2 |
4.2 |
4.1 |
4.1 |
4.0 |
3.9 |
3.9 |
3.9 |
| Colorado |
3.7 |
3.7 |
3.5 |
3.4 |
3.2 |
3.0 |
2.9 |
2.8 |
2.7 |
2.6 |
2.6 |
2.5 |
| Connecticut |
3.8 |
3.8 |
3.9 |
3.8 |
3.8 |
3.7 |
3.6 |
3.6 |
3.6 |
3.6 |
3.7 |
3.7 |
| Delaware |
3.5 |
3.4 |
3.3 |
3.2 |
3.2 |
3.2 |
3.3 |
3.4 |
3.4 |
3.7 |
3.8 |
3.9 |
| D.C. |
5.4 |
5.5 |
5.6 |
5.6 |
5.7 |
5.6 |
5.6 |
5.5 |
5.4 |
5.4 |
5.3 |
5.3 |
| Florida |
3.4 |
3.5 |
3.5 |
3.4 |
3.4 |
3.4 |
3.3 |
3.3 |
3.3 |
3.2 |
3.1 |
3.0 |
| Georgia |
3.8 |
3.9 |
3.9 |
3.8 |
3.8 |
3.7 |
3.6 |
3.6 |
3.6 |
3.4 |
3.3 |
3.2 |
| Hawaii |
2.7 |
2.7 |
2.8 |
2.8 |
2.8 |
2.8 |
2.8 |
2.7 |
2.7 |
2.7 |
2.6 |
2.6 |
| Idaho |
2.8 |
2.9 |
2.9 |
2.8 |
2.8 |
2.8 |
2.9 |
2.9 |
2.9 |
2.9 |
2.9 |
2.9 |
| Illinois |
4.3 |
4.3 |
4.4 |
4.4 |
4.4 |
4.3 |
4.2 |
4.0 |
4.0 |
3.9 |
3.8 |
3.7 |
| Indiana |
3.5 |
3.5 |
3.6 |
3.6 |
3.6 |
3.8 |
3.8 |
3.3 |
3.3 |
3.2 |
3.2 |
3.2 |
| Iowa |
2.4 |
2.4 |
2.4 |
2.4 |
2.4 |
2.4 |
2.5 |
2.5 |
2.5 |
2.6 |
2.6 |
2.7 |
| Kansas |
3.4 |
3.4 |
2.5 |
3.5 |
3.5 |
3.4 |
3.3 |
3.2 |
3.2 |
3.1 |
3.1 |
3.2 |
| Kentucky |
4.2 |
4.1 |
4.0 |
4.0 |
4.0 |
4.1 |
4.3 |
4.4 |
4.4 |
4.3 |
4.4 |
4.3 |
| Louisiana |
4.9 |
4.9 |
4.7 |
4.5 |
4.4 |
4.3 |
4.3 |
4.3 |
4.3 |
4.5 |
4.7 |
4.9 |
| Maine |
3.5 |
3.4 |
3.4 |
3.3 |
3.3 |
3.2 |
3.0 |
2.9 |
2.9 |
2.8 |
2.8 |
2.9 |
| Maryland |
3.7 |
3.7 |
3.8 |
3.8 |
3.8 |
3.8 |
3.8 |
3.8 |
3.8 |
3.6 |
3.6 |
3.5 |
| Massachusetts |
3.1 |
3.0 |
3.0 |
2.9 |
3.0 |
3.0 |
2.9 |
2.9 |
2.9 |
2.9 |
2.9 |
2.8 |
| Michigan |
4.0 |
4.0 |
4.0 |
4.1 |
4.2 |
4.2 |
4.3 |
4.2 |
4.2 |
4.1 |
4.0 |
3.9 |
| Minnesota |
3.0 |
3.1 |
3.2 |
3.3 |
3.3 |
3.3 |
3.4 |
3.3 |
3.3 |
3.2 |
3.3 |
3.3 |
| Mississippi |
4.7 |
4.8 |
4.9 |
4.9 |
5.0 |
5.0 |
5.1 |
5.2 |
5.4 |
5.5 |
5.6 |
5.7 |
| Missouri |
3.2 |
3.2 |
3.3 |
3.3 |
3.3 |
3.3 |
3.3 |
3.2 |
3.2 |
3.1 |
3.1 |
3.3 |
| Montana |
3.8 |
3.8 |
3.7 |
3.6 |
3.6 |
3.5 |
3.4 |
3.3 |
3.3 |
3.4 |
3.4 |
3.4 |
| Nebraska |
2.8 |
2.8 |
2.8 |
2.9 |
3.0 |
3.0 |
3.1 |
3.1 |
3.1 |
3.1 |
3.1 |
3.1 |
| Nevada |
4.4 |
4.3 |
4.2 |
4.0 |
4.0 |
4.0 |
4.1 |
4.1 |
4.1 |
4.1 |
4.0 |
3.8 |
| New Hampshire |
2.4 |
2.4 |
2.4 |
2.4 |
2.4 |
2.5 |
2.5 |
2.5 |
2.5 |
2.6 |
2.6 |
2.6 |
| New Jersey |
4.0 |
4.0 |
4.1 |
3.9 |
3.8 |
3.5 |
3.3 |
3.2 |
3.2 |
3.2 |
3.4 |
3.5 |
| New Mexico |
5.1 |
5.1 |
5.1 |
5.0 |
5.0 |
4.9 |
4.9 |
4.9 |
4.9 |
4.8 |
4.8 |
4.7 |
| New York |
3.9 |
3.9 |
4.0 |
3.9 |
4.0 |
4.0 |
4.0 |
4.0 |
3.9 |
4.0 |
4.0 |
4.0 |
| North Carolina |
3.8 |
3.9 |
4.0 |
4.0 |
4.1 |
4.2 |
4.2 |
4.2 |
4.1 |
4.0 |
3.8 |
3.7 |
| North Dakota |
2.5 |
2.4 |
2.3 |
2.3 |
2.3 |
2.3 |
2.4 |
2.4 |
2.5 |
2.5 |
2.5 |
2.4 |
| Ohio |
4.7 |
4.6 |
4.4 |
4.3 |
4.1 |
4.0 |
4.0 |
4.1 |
4.2 |
4.2 |
4.2 |
4.2 |
| Oklahoma |
3.2 |
3.3 |
3.3 |
3.3 |
3.2 |
3.2 |
3.2 |
3.2 |
3.2 |
3.3 |
3.4 |
3.4 |
| Oregon |
4.3 |
4.4 |
4.4 |
3.8 |
4.2 |
4.0 |
4.0 |
4.0 |
4.1 |
4.1 |
3.9 |
3.4 |
| Pennsylvania |
4.1 |
4.0 |
3.9 |
3.8 |
3.8 |
3.8 |
3.9 |
3.0 |
3.0 |
4.2 |
4.3 |
4.5 |
| Rhode Island |
4.0 |
3.9 |
3.8 |
3.7 |
3.6 |
3.6 |
3.5 |
3.6 |
3.6 |
3.6 |
3.5 |
3.5 |
| South Carolina |
3.2 |
3.2 |
3.2 |
3.4 |
3.5 |
3.5 |
3.4 |
3.2 |
2.9 |
2.6 |
2.4 |
2.3 |
| South Dakota |
2.9 |
2.9 |
2.8 |
2.8 |
2.9 |
2.9 |
2.9 |
2.9 |
3.0 |
3.0 |
3.1 |
3.2 |
| Tennessee |
3.3 |
3.2 |
3.2 |
3.2 |
3.3 |
3.4 |
3.5 |
3.5 |
3.5 |
3.4 |
3.3 |
3.5 |
| Texas |
3.8 |
3.8 |
3.8 |
3.7 |
3.5 |
3.4 |
3.4 |
3.4 |
3.4 |
3.4 |
3.4 |
3.5 |
| Utah |
3.1 |
3.0 |
3.0 |
2.9 |
2.9 |
2.8 |
2.8 |
2.8 |
2.7 |
2.5 |
2.4 |
2.3 |
| Vermont |
2.5 |
2.4 |
2.3 |
2.2 |
2.1 |
2.1 |
2.1 |
2.1 |
2.2 |
2.2 |
2.3 |
2.3 |
| Virginia |
2.8 |
2.9 |
2.9 |
2.9 |
3.0 |
2.9 |
2.9 |
2.8 |
2.7 |
2.6 |
2.6 |
2.6 |
| Washington |
4.5 |
4.5 |
4.6 |
4.7 |
4.7 |
4.6 |
4.6 |
4.6 |
4.6 |
4.5 |
4.4 |
4.3 |
| West Virginia |
5.2 |
5.2 |
5.1 |
4.9 |
4.8 |
4.7 |
4.7 |
4.6 |
4.7 |
4.8 |
4.9 |
5.0 |
| Wisconsin |
3.0 |
2.9 |
2.9 |
2.8 |
2.8 |
2.9 |
3.0 |
3.1 |
3.1 |
3.3 |
3.3 |
3.4 |
| Wyoming |
4.0 |
3.9 |
3.7 |
3.6 |
3.5 |
3.5 |
3.6 |
3.7 |
3.7 |
3.8 |
3.7 |
3.7 |
| Puerto Rico |
8.4 |
8.5 |
8.8 |
8.7 |
8.5 |
8.4 |
8.1 |
7.7 |
7.7 |
7.7 |
7.9 |
8.4 |
Source: U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
* Preliminary figures from BLS.
Note that NCSL cannot provide advice or assistance to private citizens or businesses regarding employment-related matters. Please consult your state department of labor or a private attorney.
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