On Friday, June 17th, 2022, The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its breakdown of the unemployment rates for each individual state for May.
In the chart below, the lightest colors represent the states with the lowest unemployment rates.
Looking at the above map, we can see that the lowest unemployment states run diagonally across the country, starting in Florida and ending in Montana and Idaho. Conversely, the states with the highest unemployment are located in the North East, the South West, and West Coast. Of course, minor exceptions exist, but generally, it holds.
May 2022 Unemployment Rate by State Table (Alphabetical)
| State | May 2022 Unemployment Rate | May 2021 Unemployment Rate | 12-month change |
| Alabama | 2.7% | 3.6% | -0.9% |
| Alaska | 4.7% | 6.8% | -2.1% |
| Arizona | 3.2% | 5.4% | -2.2% |
| Arkansas | 3.2% | 4.4% | -1.2% |
| California | 4.3% | 7.9% | -3.6% |
| Colorado | 3.5% | 5.8% | -2.3% |
| Connecticut | 4.2% | 6.7% | -2.5% |
| Delaware | 4.5% | 5.7% | -1.2% |
| District of Columbia | 5.7% | 6.9% | -1.2% |
| Florida | 3.0% | 4.9% | -1.9% |
| Georgia | 3.0% | 4.1% | -1.1% |
| Hawaii | 4.2% | 5.9% | -1.7% |
| Idaho | 2.5% | 3.7% | -1.2% |
| Illinois | 4.6% | 6.5% | -1.9% |
| Indiana | 2.2% | 4.0% | -1.8% |
| Iowa | 2.7% | 4.5% | -1.8% |
| Kansas | 2.3% | 3.4% | -1.1% |
| Kentucky | 3.8% | 4.7% | -0.9% |
| Louisiana | 4.0% | 5.9% | -1.9% |
| Maine | 3.2% | 4.9% | -1.7% |
| Maryland | 4.0% | 5.7% | -1.7% |
| Massachusetts | 3.9% | 5.9% | -2.0% |
| Michigan | 4.3% | 6.2% | -1.9% |
| Minnesota | 2.0% | 3.4% | -1.4% |
| Mississippi | 4.0% | 6.0% | -2.0% |
| Missouri | 3.1% | 4.5% | -1.4% |
| Montana | 2.4% | 3.6% | -1.2% |
| Nebraska | 1.9% | 2.5% | -0.6% |
| Nevada | 4.9% | 7.8% | -2.9% |
| New Hampshire | 2.1% | 3.7% | -1.6% |
| New Jersey | 3.9% | 6.6% | -2.7% |
| New Mexico | 5.1% | 7.2% | -2.1% |
| New York | 4.4% | 7.4% | -3.0% |
| North Carolina | 3.4% | 5.0% | -1.6% |
| North Dakota | 2.6% | 3.8% | -1.2% |
| Ohio | 3.9% | 5.4% | -1.5% |
| Oklahoma | 2.8% | 4.4% | -1.6% |
| Oregon | 3.6% | 5.6% | -2.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 4.6% | 6.7% | -2.1% |
| Rhode Island | 2.9% | 6.0% | -3.1% |
| South Carolina | 3.3% | 4.1% | -0.8% |
| South Dakota | 2.3% | 3.2% | -0.9% |
| Tennessee | 3.3% | 4.6% | -1.3% |
| Texas | 4.2% | 5.9% | -1.7% |
| Utah | 2.0% | 2.8% | -0.8% |
| Vermont | 2.3% | 3.6% | -1.3% |
| Virginia | 3.0% | 4.1% | -1.1% |
| Washington | 3.9% | 5.5% | -1.6% |
| West Virginia | 3.5% | 5.4% | -1.9% |
| Wisconsin | 2.9% | 4.1% | -1.2% |
| Wyoming | 3.2% | 4.7% | -1.5% |
| Puerto Rico | 6.2% | 8.1% | -1.9% |
States with the Highest Unemployment Rates
The record for the highest unemployment goes as usual to the two that are not really “states,” i.e., Puerto Rico and D.C. at 6.2% and 5.7%, respectively. Next comes New Mexico at 5.1%, Nevada at 4.9%, Alaska at 4.7%, Illinois and Pennsylvania at 4.6%, Delaware at 4.5%, New York at 4.4%, and California and Michigan tied for 10th worst place at 4.3%. [Read more…] about May 2022- Unemployment by State
