Here's The Unemployment Rate In All 50 States

The unemployment rate continued to fall across much of the United States in 2017, settling at 4.1 percent nationally — a 17-year low. December marked the 87th straight month of job growth in the nation, a record-setting streak. But in a country as diverse as the U.S., the national figures can obscure a more complex picture at the state-level.

Meanwhile, Hawaii boasts the lowest unemployment rate in the country at 2 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Alaska has the largest unemployed population with 7.3 percent of the state’s available workforce looking for a job.

"Unemployment has come down mightily over the past several years, but the trend is leveling out a bit now as the labor market tightens,” Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate.com, told Patch.

“The factors that cause unemployment to be lower or higher in particular geographic regions are very idiosyncratic,” explained Cathy Barrera, chief economist at ZipRecruiter. “Obviously, the availability of jobs would be the first thing to look at. There may be more jobs available in a particular area because of its natural resources or because businesses have invested in opening factories or offices there--policies of local governments can contribute to those decisions.”

As the unemployment rate creeps lower and lower, many observers will speculate that the country may have reached “full employment." But Barrera told Patch that the differences in distinct localities and demographic group may indicate room for improvement.

“There is evidence of slack for some parts of the labor market—including different geographies or different age groups,” she said. “So we may be able to edge the national unemployment rate a bit lower.”

She continued: “That being said, what it will take to match unemployed individuals with job openings depends on which frictions are driving these numbers. For example, providing training to reduce a skills gap may be easier than relocating individuals; increasing the availability of remote work may be easier than retraining large groups of people.”

A low unemployment rate is good for those who are employed and for people looking for work. Job applicants entering the market with less competition should find it easier to find a position, and may have more leverage to negotiate for a higher salary.

While the falling unemployment rate has been one of the best economic stories of the last few years, economists have been disappointed that average wages haven’t risen as much as they would have hoped.

McBride said that raises should start to climb soon, especially where unemployment is low.

“This should boost wages for employees that are most in demand, particularly those with technology skills," he said.

Even as many employees struggle for a raise, many employers say it’s difficult to find adequate staff.

"The issue confronting many employers is the inability to find qualified workers. You can't hire them if you can't find them, so expect more of the modest job growth and slower movement in the unemployment rate," McBride said.

Still, some parts of the United States are not enjoying in the overall positive trend.

In Puerto Rico, where residents continue to struggle under a massive territorial debt crisis and the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Maria, the unemployment rate is 10.9 percent — higher than the peak of the national unemployment of 10 percent of the workforce following the 2008 financial crisis.

Here’s the employment rate for each state (and Puerto Rico) as of December 2017 (States with equal unemployment rates are given equal ranking):

1. Hawaii — 2
2. New Hampshire — 2.6
2. North Dakota — 2.6
4. Nebraska — 2.7
5. Iowa — 2.8
5. Vermont — 2.8
7. Idaho —2.9
8. Maine — 3
8. Wisconsin — 3
10. Colorado — 3.1
10. Minnesota — 3.1
10. Utah — 3.1
13. Tennessee — 3.2
14. Indiana — 3.4
14. Kansas — 3.4
16. Alabama — 3.5
16. Massachusetts — 3.5
16. Missouri — 3.5
16. South Dakota — 3.5
20. Arkansas — 3.7
20. Florida — 3.7
20. Virginia — 3.7
23. Texas — 3.9
24. Maryland — 4
25. Montana — 4.1
25. Oklahoma — 4.1
25. Oregon — 4.1
25. South Carolina — 4.1
29. Wyoming — 4.2
30. California — 4.3
31. Georgia — 4.4
31. Kentucky — 4.4
31. Rhode Island — 4.4
34. Arizona — 4.5
34. North Carolina — 4.5
34. Washington — 4.5
37. Connecticut — 4.6
37. Delaware — 4.6
37. Louisiana — 4.6
37.Mississippi — 4.6
37. New York — 4.6
42. Michigan — 4.7
42. Ohio — 4.7
42. Pennsylvania — 4.7
45. Illinois — 4.8
46. Nevada — 5
46. New Jersey — 5
48. West Virginia — 5.5
49. New Mexico — 6
50. Alaska — 7.3
51. Puerto Rico — 10.9

Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images