Eight states at historically low unemployment rates in March 2018

In March 2018, unemployment rates for California (4.3 percent), Hawaii (2.1 percent), Idaho (2.9 percent), Kentucky (4.0 percent), Maine (2.7 percent), Mississippi (4.5 percent), Oregon (4.1 percent), and Wisconsin (2.9 percent) were at their lowest levels since the state unemployment data series began in January 1976. Among states, Hawaii had the lowest unemployment rate, followed by New Hampshire and North Dakota (2.6 percent each). Alaska had the highest unemployment rate, at 7.3 percent.

In March 2018, 17 states had unemployment rates lower than the U.S. figure of 4.1 percent, 9 states and the District of Columbia had higher rates, and 24 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation.

From March 2017 to March 2018, seventeen states had unemployment rate changes, all of which were decreases. The largest declines occurred in Alabama, Kentucky, and Louisiana (−1.2 percentage points each).

These data are from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program and are seasonally adjusted. Data for the most recent month are preliminary. To learn more, see "State Employment and Unemployment — March 2018" (HTML) (PDF). For more charts and tables related to state employment and unemployment, see the State unemployment chart package.