2009 Unemployment Rates, by State
Average unemployment rates soared to 10% or higher in 14 states and Washington, D.C. last year ? above the 9.3% average for the nation ? as the recession spurred layoffs and froze hiring, the Labor Department said Wednesday. Nine states tracked their highest once a year unemployment rates ever and Michigan and Nevada experienced both the largest year over year increases and the highest rates. No regions went unscathed: The unemployment rate rose in all 50 states.
Unemployment Rates, by State
| State | Average 2008 Unemployment Rate | Average 2009 Unemployment Rate | Year-over-year Increase |
| U.S. | 5.8% | 9.3% | 3.5 |
| Alabama | 5.2% | 10.1% | 4.9 |
| Alaska | 6.5% | 8% | 1.5 |
| Arizona | 5.9% | 9.1% | 3.2 |
| Arkansas | 5.2% | 7.3% | 2.1 |
| California | 7.2% | 11.4% | 4.2 |
| Colorado | 4.9% | 7.7% | 2.8 |
| Connecticut | 5.6% | 8.2% | 2.6 |
| Delaware | 4.9% | 8.1% | 3.2 |
| District of Columbia | 6.6% | 10.2% | 3.6 |
| Florida | 6.3% | 10.5% | 4.2 |
| Georgia | 6.2% | 9.6% | 3.4 |
| Hawaii | 4% | 6.8% | 2.8 |
| Idaho | 4.9% | 8% | 3.1 |
| Illinois | 6.4% | 10.1% | 3.7 |
| Indiana | 5.8% | 10.1% | 4.3 |
| Iowa | 4.4% | 6% | 1.6 |
| Kansas | 4.4% | 6.7% | 2.3 |
| Kentucky | 6.6% | 10.5% | 3.9 |
| Louisiana | 4.5% | 6.8% | 2.3 |
| Maine | 5.3% | 8% | 2.7 |
| Maryland | 4.4% | 7% | 2.6 |
| Massachusetts | 5.3% | 8.4% | 3.1 |
| Michigan | 8.3% | 13.6% | 5.3 |
| Minnesota | 5.4% | 8% | 2.6 |
| Mississippi | 6.8% | 9.6% | 2.8 |
| Missouri | 6.1% | 9.3% | 3.2 |
| Montana | 4.6% | 6.2% | 1.6 |
| Nebraska | 3.3% | 4.6% | 1.3 |
| Nevada | 6.7% | 11.8% | 5.1 |
| New Hampshire | 3.9% | 6.3% | 2.4 |
| New Jersey | 5.5% | 9.2% | 3.7 |
| New Mexico | 4.5% | 7.2% | 2.7 |
| New York | 5.3% | 8.4% | 3.1 |
| North Carolina | 6.2% | 10.6% | 4.4 |
| North Dakota | 3.2% | 4.3% | 1.1 |
| Ohio | 6.6% | 10.2% | 3.6 |
| Oklahoma | 3.7% | 6.4% | 2.7 |
| Oregon | 6.5% | 11.1% | 4.6 |
| Pennsylvania | 5.3% | 8.1% | 2.8 |
| Rhode Island | 7.6% | 11.2% | 3.6 |
| South Carolina | 6.9% | 11.7% | 4.8 |
| South Dakota | 3.1% | 4.8% | 1.7 |
| Tennessee | 6.7% | 10.5% | 3.8 |
| Texas | 4.9% | 7.6% | 2.7 |
| Utah | 3.7% | 6.6% | 2.9 |
| Vermont | 4.5% | 6.9% | 2.4 |
| Virginia | 3.9% | 6.7% | 2.8 |
| Washington | 5.4% | 8.9% | 3.5 |
| West Virginia | 4.3% | 7.9% | 3.6 |
| Wisconsin | 4.8% | 8.5% | 3.7 |
| Wyoming | 3.2% | 6.4% | 3.2 |
Source: Labor Department