[
]()As in most cases, location matters. For job seekers, location may just be essential.
The U.S. unemployment rate has been hovering around the 9 percent rate across the country for a few months now, but not all states are equal. There are a number of U.S. states reporting unemployment rates under 6 percent, and even a few with under 5 percent. On the other hand, there are states that have one-tenth or more of their population out of work.
In our latest Marketplace Map, we take a look at America at Work. The data on unemployment as of August 2011 reveal distinct differences state-by-state — North Dakota by far has the lowest unemployment rate with 3.5 percent, whereas Nevada has the worst, with a 13.4 percent unemployment rate. That’s more than a three-fold difference.
Here are the top 10 best and worst U.S. states to find a job:
Top 10 U.S. states by unemployment rate:
1. North Dakota (3.5%)
2. Nebraska (4.2%)
3. South Dakota (4.7%)
4. New Hampshire (5.3%)
5. Oklahoma (5.6%)
6. Wyoming (5.8%)
7. Vermont (5.9%)
8. Iowa (6.1%)
9. Hawaii (6.2%)
10. Virginia (6.3%)
Bottom 10 U.S. states by unemployment rate:
1. Nevada (13.4%)
2. California (12.1%)
3. Michigan (11.2%)
4. South Carolina (11.1%)
5. Florida (10.7%)
6. Rhode Island (10.6%)
7. North Carolina (10.4%)
8. Mississippi (10.3%)
9. Georgia (10.2%)
10. Illinois (9.9%)
To see how your state fared, check out Marketplace Maps: America at Work.
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