02/28/2009 (5:21 pm)
Unemployment rises in 46 states
Unemployment rates increased in 46 of the 50 states last year, according to an annual report issued Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Rhode Island suffered the sharpest increase, 2.6 percentage points. Its average annual jobless rate soared from 5.2 percent in 2007 to 7.8 percent in 2008.
Florida and Nevada were the only other states with increases of two points or more.
Florida’s average annual unemployment rate was 6.2 percent last year, up 2.1 points from 4.1 percent a year earlier. Nevada’s 2008 jobless rate was 6.7 percent, up two points from 4.7 percent in 2007.
Arkansas, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Oklahoma were the only states whose annual unemployment rates did not get higher last year. The first three stayed flat, while Oklahoma actually reduced its rate by 0.3 points, from 4.1 percent in 2007 to 3.8 percent in 2008.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics averaged monthly unemployment rates for each state to calculate annual figures. The national average last year was 5.8 percent.
Michigan had the highest unemployment rate of any state in 2008, 8.4 percent. It was followed by Rhode Island at 7 payday loan online.8 percent and California at 7.2 percent.
The lowest jobless rate in any state last year occurred in South Dakota at 3.0 percent. Wyoming (3.1 percent) and North Dakota (3.2 percent) were the runners-up.
What follows is an alphabetical list of the 50 states, accompanied by their 2008 annual average unemployment rates and their changes in percentage points from 2007.
• Alabama, 5.0% rate (increase of 1.5 points)
• Alaska, 6.7% rate (increase of 0.5 points)
• Arizona, 5.5% rate (increase of 1.7 points)
• Arkansas, 5.1% rate (no change)
• California, 7.2% rate (increase of 1.8 points)
• Colorado, 4.9% rate (increase of 1.0 points)
• Connecticut, 5.7% rate (increase of 1.1 points)
• Delaware, 4.8% rate (increase of 1.4 points)
• Florida, 6.2% rate (increase of 2.1 points)
• Georgia, 6.2% rate (increase of 1.6 points)
• Hawaii, 3.9% rate (increase of 1.3 points)
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