June’s jobs report showed a slight slowdown in growth. The economy gained 372,000 nonfarm payroll jobs, a decrease from 384,000 the previous month. In June, there were notable gains in sectors including leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, and health care.
Now, the U.S. unemployment rate sits at 3.6%, the same percentage it has held for several months. We have come a long way from the nearly historic high of 14.7% in April 2020, due to a combination of vaccinations and states removing restrictions. However, inflation and the potential of a recession threaten to push the unemployment rate higher again if Federal Reserve rate increases are not able to stave them off.
In order to take stock of how unemployment rates are changing throughout the U.S., WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on six key metrics that compare unemployment rate statistics from the latest month for which data is available (June 2022) to key dates in 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019.
Main Findings
Unemployment Rate Changes by State
| Overall Rank | State | Unemployment Rate (June 2022) | Change in Unemployment (June 2022 vs May 2022) | Change in Unemployment (June 2022 vs June 2021) | Change in Unemployment (June 2022 vs June 2020) | Change in Unemployment (June 2022 vs June 2019) | Not Seasonally Adjusted Continued Claims (June 2022 vs May 2022) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | 1.8% | -7.1% | -43.7% | -79.4% | -44.3% | -12.7% |
| 2 | New Hampshire | 2.0% | -4.5% | -43.1% | -78.7% | -21.7% | -2.5% |
| 3 | Rhode Island | 2.7% | -4.7% | -55.7% | -79.6% | -20.8% | 1.9% |
| 4 | Vermont | 2.2% | -4.1% | -36.3% | -71.8% | -5.9% | -10.7% |
| 5 | Nebraska | 1.9% | 1.0% | -24.3% | -61.9% | -35.7% | 21.3% |
| 6 | Indiana | 2.4% | 7.8% | -38.8% | -76.3% | -25.7% | -10.5% |
| 7 | Utah | 2.0% | 2.7% | -25.4% | -65.3% | -15.6% | 3.0% |
| 8 | Iowa | 2.6% | -6.2% | -41.7% | -58.9% | -2.7% | 11.1% |
| 9 | South Dakota | 2.3% | 0.4% | -28.9% | -56.1% | -17.8% | 3.7% |
| 10 | Florida | 2.8% | -3.0% | -39.3% | -73.8% | -9.6% | 6.7% |
| 11 | Kansas | 2.4% | 2.1% | -30.4% | -66.3% | -22.0% | 11.0% |
| 12 | North Dakota | 2.5% | -5.8% | -30.6% | -61.1% | 19.8% | -4.1% |
| 13 | Missouri | 2.8% | -11.9% | -37.1% | -63.1% | -4.2% | 26.6% |
| 14 | Alabama | 2.6% | -2.0% | -24.0% | -69.6% | -9.7% | 2.3% |
| 15 | Virginia | 2.8% | -5.9% | -28.3% | -67.0% | 4.9% | 0.9% |
| 16 | Idaho | 2.5% | 1.6% | -29.5% | -63.0% | -7.5% | 10.3% |
| 17 | Montana | 2.6% | 5.1% | -27.8% | -64.0% | -24.6% | -1.5% |
| 18 | Maine | 3.0% | -3.9% | -39.9% | -52.7% | 13.5% | -20.3% |
| 19 | Wyoming | 3.1% | -2.8% | -32.7% | -57.5% | -13.3% | -10.1% |
| 20 | Georgia | 2.9% | -1.5% | -25.5% | -62.7% | -15.7% | 12.6% |
| 21 | Wisconsin | 2.9% | 1.9% | -27.5% | -65.8% | -9.6% | 8.2% |
| 22 | Oklahoma | 2.9% | 3.0% | -31.6% | -63.2% | -4.4% | 8.3% |
| 23 | Arizona | 3.3% | 1.7% | -36.0% | -64.0% | -28.9% | 13.5% |
| 24 | Colorado | 3.4% | -2.4% | -40.0% | -67.3% | 43.3% | 1.4% |
| 25 | Massachusetts | 3.7% | -4.6% | -38.1% | -74.4% | 19.9% | 2.9% |
| 26 | North Carolina | 3.4% | 1.0% | -30.2% | -62.5% | -9.2% | 8.4% |
| 27 | Oregon | 3.6% | 0.4% | -33.0% | -64.4% | 0.4% | -3.0% |
| 28 | New Jersey | 3.9% | -0.2% | -45.5% | -73.1% | 20.2% | -5.5% |
| 29 | West Virginia | 3.6% | 2.8% | -31.4% | -64.5% | -24.4% | 10.1% |
| 30 | Louisiana | 3.8% | -4.4% | -34.0% | -64.4% | -12.5% | 22.5% |
| 31 | Arkansas | 3.2% | 1.6% | -22.9% | -57.9% | -5.6% | 24.2% |
| 32 | California | 4.2% | -1.2% | -45.5% | -69.4% | 4.8% | -10.7% |
| 33 | Tennessee | 3.3% | 1.8% | -22.6% | -65.3% | 3.5% | 20.2% |
| 34 | South Carolina | 3.2% | -1.3% | -19.8% | -56.9% | 21.3% | 17.4% |
| 35 | Washington | 3.9% | -1.7% | -25.6% | -65.0% | -6.9% | -6.2% |
| 36 | Connecticut | 4.0% | -3.3% | -39.2% | -64.0% | 12.5% | 5.6% |
| 37 | Mississippi | 3.8% | -4.5% | -34.9% | -57.5% | -31.3% | 57.7% |
| 38 | Michigan | 4.3% | 0.0% | -31.6% | -71.5% | 0.3% | -20.1% |
| 39 | Ohio | 3.9% | -1.0% | -26.6% | -64.0% | -4.6% | 10.2% |
| 40 | Kentucky | 3.7% | -2.3% | -20.6% | -21.8% | -8.6% | -14.1% |
| 41 | New York | 4.4% | 1.4% | -40.6% | -67.9% | 13.8% | -0.3% |
| 42 | Maryland | 4.0% | 2.0% | -33.4% | -52.3% | 21.0% | 13.2% |
| 43 | Texas | 4.1% | -1.6% | -28.6% | -56.8% | 25.4% | 10.1% |
| 44 | Alaska | 4.6% | 0.1% | -30.7% | -57.1% | -12.9% | -15.4% |
| 45 | Nevada | 4.7% | -4.3% | -34.7% | -74.2% | 23.5% | -1.1% |
| 46 | Illinois | 4.5% | -2.3% | -28.8% | -63.8% | 15.0% | -1.9% |
| 47 | Pennsylvania | 4.5% | -3.4% | -32.1% | -61.3% | 1.0% | 18.8% |
| 48 | Hawaii | 4.3% | 3.2% | -27.6% | -75.3% | 59.4% | 8.1% |
| 49 | New Mexico | 4.9% | -3.9% | -32.5% | -46.0% | -0.6% | -1.1% |
| 50 | Delaware | 4.5% | 0.6% | -19.4% | -64.2% | 26.4% | 8.3% |
| 51 | District of Columbia | 5.5% | -3.4% | -23.5% | -37.0% | 0.1% | -12.7% |
- Biggest Decrease
- 1. Missouri
- 2. Minnesota
- 3. Iowa
- 4. Virginia
- 5. North Dakota
- Smallest Decrease
- 47. West Virginia
- 48. Oklahoma
- 49. Hawaii
- 50. Montana
- 51. Indiana
- Biggest Decrease
- 1. Rhode Island
- 2. New Jersey
- 3. California
- 4. Minnesota
- 5. New Hampshire
- Smallest Decrease
- 47. Arkansas
- 48. Tennessee
- 49. Kentucky
- 50. South Carolina
- 51. Delaware
- Biggest Decrease
- 1. Rhode Island
- 2. Minnesota
- 3. New Hampshire
- 4. Indiana
- 5. Hawaii
- Smallest Decrease
- 47. Maine
- 48. Maryland
- 49. New Mexico
- 50. District of Columbia
- 51. Kentucky
- Biggest Decrease
- 1. Minnesota
- 2. Nebraska
- 3. Mississippi
- 4. Arizona
- 5. Indiana
- Smallest Decrease
- 47. Nevada
- 48. Texas
- 49. Delaware
- 50. Colorado
- 51. Hawaii
- Lowest Rate
- 1. Minnesota
- 2. Nebraska
- T-3. New Hampshire
- T-3. Utah
- 5. Vermont
- Highest Rate
- T-45. Pennsylvania
- T-45. Delaware
- 48. Alaska
- 49. Nevada
- 50. New Mexico
- 51. District of Columbia
Ask the Experts
In order to provide further insight on U.S. unemployment and its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, WalletHub turned to a panel of experts. Click on the pictures of experts below to read their bios and responses to the following key questions:
- What are the best ways for state and local authorities to ensure a cost effective rebound from the economic aftermath of the pandemic?
- What are the most resilient industries and fields during the current crisis?
- What job skills do you think will be the most sought after in the current job market?
Ask the Experts
Professor of Economics – University of California, Merced
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Ph.D. – JPMorgan Chase Professor of International Business and Department Chair, Department of Management and Leadership, C.T. Bauer College of Business – University of Houston
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Ph.D. – Professor and Director, MSHRM Program; Sorrell College of Business – Troy University
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Associate Professor, Business Management, Koppelman School of Business – Brooklyn College
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Ph.D. – Assistant Professor, Graduate Business Lead Professor, Academic Internship Mentor, College of Business, Innovation, Leadership and Technology – Marymount University
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Full Professor and Department Head, Public and Nonprofit Management Program, School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences – The University of Texas at Dallas
Read More
Methodology
In order to examine changes in unemployment rates throughout the U.S., WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across two categories. In the first category, we compared the change in unemployment for the latest month for which we had data (June 2022) to May 2022, June 2021, June 2022, and June 2019, in order to show the impact since the beginning of the pandemic and the recent changes in the job market amid high inflation. We also compared not seasonally adjusted continued claims in June 2022 to May 2022. In the second category, we looked at the state’s overall unemployment rate. We then used the average of those categories to rank-order the states.
Change in Unemployment - Total Points: 50
- Change in Unemployment in June 2022 vs. May 2022: Full Weight (~10.00 Points)
- Change in Unemployment in June 2022 vs. June 2021: Full Weight (~10.00 Points)
- Change in Unemployment in June 2022 vs. June 2020: Full Weight (~10.00 Points)
- Change in Unemployment in June 2022 vs. June 2019: Full Weight (~10.00 Points)
- Not Seasonally Adjusted Continued Claims in June 2022 vs. May 2022: Full Weight (~10.00 Points)
Unemployment Rate - Total Points: 50
- Unemployment Rate (June 2022): Full Weight (~50.00 Points)
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were obtained from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Department of Labor.