Chart 1-3. In 2005, unemployment rates were lowest in the
South Atlantic States and highest in the East North Central
States
Mountain
WASH.
West
North Central
New England
East
North Central
WIS.
S.D.
IDAHO
VT.
Middle
Atlantic
MINN.
CALIF.
MAINE
N.D.
MONT.
ORE.
N.H.
WYO.
R.I.
CONN.
IOWA
NEB.
PA.
N.J.
OHIO
NEV.
ILL.
UTAH
COLO.
MASS.
N.Y.
MICH.
IND.
MD.
DEL.
KAN.
MO.
W.VA.
KY.
VA.
D.C.
TENN.
ARIZ.
N.M.
ARK.
Pacific
MISS.
TEXAS
S.C.
ALA.
GA.
LA.
East
South Central
West
South Central
ALASKA
N.C.
OKLA.
South
Atlantic
FLA.
Unemployment rate
HAWAII
6.5% or higher
5.5% - 6.4%
4.5% - 5.4%
NOTE: Data are 2005 annual averages.
3.5% - 4.4%
3.4% or lower
SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Chart 1-3. In 2005, unemployment rates were lowest in the
South Atlantic States and highest in the East North Central
States
• In 2005, Hawaii reported the lowest unemployment rate among the states, 2.8
percent. North Dakota had the next lowest rate, 3.4 percent, closely followed
by Vermont and Virginia, 3.5 percent each. The highest rates were recorded in
Mississippi and Louisiana (7.9 and 7.1 percent, respectively), reflecting the
impact of the Gulf Coast hurricanes.
• The largest unemployment rate declines from 2004 to 2005 occurred in
Alabama and Oregon (-1.2 percentage points each).
• The largest jobless rate increases for 2005 were recorded by the two states most
affected by the Gulf Coast hurricanes: Mississippi (+1.6 percentage points) and
Louisiana (+1.4 percentage points).
3