Map Shows Changes in State Unemployment Rates

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Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

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The proportion of Americans without a job has dropped in 20 states in 2023 compared to the previous year, while remaining widely unchanged in 15 states and jumping in 15 others and the District of Columbia.

The latest data on unemployment rates across the country was released last week by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The Bureau's state employment and unemployment summary presents statistics based on two monthly programs, one based on a survey of households and the other on an establishment survey measuring nonfarm employment, hours and earnings by industry.

Monitoring unemployment in the country is particularly important as we approach the next year, as earlier this month a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report forecasted a rise in the U.S. jobless rate from the current 3.9 percent to 4.4 percent by the end of 2024. This would likely mean that millions of Americans could lose their job, while the gross domestic product (GDP) would contract significantly.

Below, you can find a map created by Newsweek based on the Bureau's data representing the states with "statistically significant" unemployment rate changes from November 2022 to November 2023. The color red denotes a rise in unemployment, while blue indicates a decrease.

According to the federal agency, among the states with the most significant drops in unemployment rates from November 2022 to November 2023—seasonally adjusted—are Maryland (-1.3 percent), Oregon (-1.2 percent), Pennsylvania and Vermont (-1.0 percent).

% Change in Unemployment By State

(Nov. 2022 to Nov, 2023, seasonally adjusted)

The rate has also dropped in Alabama and North Dakota (-0.2 percent), South Carolina and Virginia (-0.3 percent), Connecticut, Nebraska, North Carolina and Rhode Island (-0.4 percent), Delaware and Ohio (-0.5 percent), New Hampshire and Washington (-0.6 percent), Hawaii, Massachusetts and Mississippi (-0.8 percent) and Wyoming (-0.9 percent).

Overall, the lowest unemployment rate in November 2023 was in North Dakota (1.9 percent), followed by Vermont (2.1 percent) and Alabama (2.4 percent).

Unemployment rate map
A map created by Newsweek based on the Bureau's data representing the states with "statistically significant" unemployment rate changes from November 2022 to November 2023. The color red denotes a rise in unemployment, while blue... U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

The states with the highest increases in unemployment rates within the same period were New Jersey (+1.4 percent), California, Colorado and the District of Columbia (+0.8 percent) and Alaska (+0.7 percent).

The rate of those without a job has also jumped in Idaho, Indiana and Missouri (+0.5 percent), New Mexico and Utah (+0.4 percent), Georgia, Montana, Texas and Wisconsin (+0.3 percent), Florida and Iowa (+0.2 percent).

Overall, the higher unemployment rate in November 2023 was in the District of Columbia (5.0 percent), followed by California (4.9 percent) and New Jersey (4.7 percent). According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment rates were higher in November in 12 states compared to the month before and stable in 38 states and the District of Columbia.

Employment
Shoppers gather in a Barnes & Noble store in the Americana at Brand shopping center on the day after Christmas on December 26, 2023 in Glendale, California. Unemployment rates have dropped in 20 states between... Mario Tama/Getty Images
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About the writer

Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

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Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property ... Read more