State Unemployment Rate as of November 2008. Michigan had the highest unemployment rate at 9.6 followed by Rhode Island with 9.3 followed by California Unemployment Rate of 8.4.
| Rank | State | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | MICHIGAN | 9.6 |
| 50 | RHODE ISLAND | 9.3 |
| 48 | CALIFORNIA | 8.4 |
| 48 | SOUTH CAROLINA | 8.4 |
| 47 | OREGON | 8.1 |
| 45 | DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA | 8 |
| 45 | NEVADA | 8 |
| 44 | NORTH CAROLINA | 7.9 |
| 43 | GEORGIA | 7.5 |
| 39 | ALASKA | 7.3 |
| 39 | FLORIDA | 7.3 |
| 39 | ILLINOIS | 7.3 |
| 39 | OHIO | 7.3 |
| 38 | MISSISSIPPI | 7.2 |
| 37 | INDIANA | 7.1 |
| 36 | KENTUCKY | 7 |
| 35 | TENNESSEE | 6.9 |
| 34 | MISSOURI | 6.7 |
| 33 | CONNECTICUT | 6.6 |
| 31 | MINNESOTA | 6.4 |
| 31 | WASHINGTON | 6.4 |
| 29 | ARIZONA | 6.3 |
| 29 | MAINE | 6.3 |
| 25 | ALABAMA | 6.1 |
| 25 | NEW JERSEY | 6.1 |
| 25 | NEW YORK | 6.1 |
| 25 | PENNSYLVANIA | 6.1 |
| 24 | MASSACHUSETTS | 5.9 |
| 23 | COLORADO | 5.8 |
| 19 | ARKANSAS | 5.7 |
| 19 | IDAHO | 5.7 |
| 19 | TEXAS | 5.7 |
| 19 | VERMONT | 5.7 |
| 17 | DELAWARE | 5.6 |
| 17 | WISCONSIN | 5.6 |
| 15 | LOUISIANA | 5.3 |
| 15 | MARYLAND | 5.3 |
| 12 | HAWAII | 4.9 |
| 12 | KANSAS | 4.9 |
| 12 | MONTANA | 4.9 |
| 11 | VIRGINIA | 4.8 |
| 10 | OKLAHOMA | 4.7 |
| 9 | WEST VIRGINIA | 4.6 |
| 6 | IOWA | 4.3 |
| 6 | NEW HAMPSHIRE | 4.3 |
| 6 | NEW MEXICO | 4.3 |
| 4 | NEBRASKA | 3.7 |
| 4 | UTAH | 3.7 |
| 3 | SOUTH DAKOTA | 3.4 |
| 2 | NORTH DAKOTA | 3.3 |
| 1 | WYOMING | 3.2 |
| Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics | ||