The Associated Press reports that the unemployment rate fell in two-thirds of U.S. states last month, demonstrating that modest economic growth is boosting hiring in most areas of the country. The report continues;
And in many states, unemployment has fallen well below the national average, which was 8.1 percent last month.
The rate was under 7 percent in 22 states in April. That compares with only 13 states in April 2011.
The unemployment rates for states in April 2012 are:
| Unemployment Rates for States | ||
| Monthly Rankings | ||
| Seasonally Adjusted | ||
| Apr. 2012 | ||
| Rank | State | Rate (%) |
| 1 | NORTH DAKOTA | 3 |
| 2 | NEBRASKA | 3.9 |
| 3 | SOUTH DAKOTA | 4.3 |
| 4 | VERMONT | 4.6 |
| 5 | NEW HAMPSHIRE | 5 |
| 5 | OKLAHOMA | 5 |
| 7 | IOWA | 5.1 |
| 8 | WYOMING | 5.3 |
| 9 | MINNESOTA | 5.6 |
| 9 | VIRGINIA | 5.6 |
| 11 | UTAH | 6 |
| 12 | KANSAS | 6.1 |
| 12 | MONTANA | 6.1 |
| 14 | HAWAII | 6.3 |
| 14 | MASSACHUSETTS | 6.3 |
| 16 | MARYLAND | 6.7 |
| 16 | WEST VIRGINIA | 6.7 |
| 16 | WISCONSIN | 6.7 |
| 19 | DELAWARE | 6.8 |
| 20 | ALASKA | 6.9 |
| 20 | NEW MEXICO | 6.9 |
| 20 | TEXAS | 6.9 |
| 23 | LOUISIANA | 7.1 |
| 24 | ALABAMA | 7.2 |
| 24 | ARKANSAS | 7.2 |
| 24 | MAINE | 7.2 |
| 27 | MISSOURI | 7.3 |
| 28 | OHIO | 7.4 |
| 28 | PENNSYLVANIA | 7.4 |
| 30 | CONNECTICUT | 7.7 |
| 30 | IDAHO | 7.7 |
| 32 | TENNESSEE | 7.8 |
| 33 | COLORADO | 7.9 |
| 33 | INDIANA | 7.9 |
| 35 | WASHINGTON | 8.1 |
| 36 | ARIZONA | 8.2 |
| 37 | KENTUCKY | 8.3 |
| 37 | MICHIGAN | 8.3 |
| 39 | NEW YORK | 8.5 |
| 39 | OREGON | 8.5 |
| 41 | FLORIDA | 8.7 |
| 41 | ILLINOIS | 8.7 |
| 41 | MISSISSIPPI | 8.7 |
| 44 | SOUTH CAROLINA | 8.8 |
| 45 | GEORGIA | 8.9 |
| 46 | NEW JERSEY | 9.1 |
| 47 | NORTH CAROLINA | 9.4 |
| 48 | DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA | 9.5 |
| 49 | CALIFORNIA | 10.9 |
| 50 | RHODE ISLAND | 11.2 |
| 51 | NEVADA | 11.7 |
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