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Unemployment rates for African Americans by state in 2015
March 04, 2016
In 2015, the unemployment rate for the United States averaged 5.3 percent. The rate for African Americans was 9.6 percent, but rates varied among the states. The lowest unemployment rates for African Americans were in Hawaii (4.1 percent), Alaska (4.6 percent), Nebraska (5.3 percent), and Colorado (5.9 percent). The highest unemployment rates for African Americans were in Iowa (14.8 percent), Minnesota (14.1 percent), and Nevada (13.5 percent).
Unemployment rates for blacks or African Americans, by state, 2015 annual averages
11.2% and higher
10.3% to 11.1%
9.0% to 10.2%
7.5% to 8.9%
7.4% and lower
N/A
South Dakota
Hover over a state to see data.
Hover over legend items to see states in a category.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Unemployment rates for blacks or African Americans, by state, 2015 annual averages
State
Rate
United States
9.6
Alabama
10.6
Alaska
4.6
Arizona
9.1
Arkansas
10.3
California
11.0
Colorado
5.9
Connecticut
13.2
Delaware
8.0
District of Columbia
13.3
Florida
9.0
Georgia
9.3
Hawaii
4.1
Idaho
Not available
Illinois
12.2
Indiana
7.0
Iowa
14.8
Kansas
6.6
Kentucky
11.2
Louisiana
9.7
Maine
10.1
Maryland
8.3
Massachusetts
10.6
Michigan
11.6
Minnesota
14.1
Mississippi
9.4
Missouri
10.0
Montana
Not available
Nebraska
5.3
Nevada
13.5
New Hampshire
8.6
New Jersey
10.0
New Mexico
6.5
New York
8.2
North Carolina
10.3
North Dakota
Not available
Ohio
10.9
Oklahoma
8.8
Oregon
7.4
Pennsylvania
10.5
Rhode Island
12.2
South Carolina
10.7
South Dakota
Not available
Tennessee
7.5
Texas
7.5
Utah
Not available
Vermont
Not available
Virginia
7.9
Washington
8.9
West Virginia
10.6
Wisconsin
11.1
Wyoming
Not available
The gap between the overall U.S. unemployment rate and the rate for African Americans in 2015 was 4.3 percentage points. Within states, the gaps were largest in Iowa (11.2 percentage points), Minnesota (10.3 points), and Connecticut (7.6 points). In Alaska and New Mexico, unemployment rates for African Americans were lower than the overall rates.
These Current Population Survey data are compiled by the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program. To learn more, see 2015 Data on Employment Status by State and Demographic Group (XLS) (HTML). Unemployment rates are not shown for states where the survey sample size is too small to provide reliable estimates.
United States Department of Labor
