Alaska isn’t the most ideal to move to if you’re seeking employment stability. And U.S. unemployment rates don’t get any better right now than in Hawaii.
According to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the state has the highest unemployment rate at 6.4%. The national unemployment rate is 3.7%.
U.S. unemployment rates vary widely
In October, there were 22,800 unemployed persons in Alaska, which has a population of over 737,000 people.
The District of Columbia, West Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arizona trail behind Alaska. In total, 24 states have unemployment rates higher than the national average.
Although the unemployment rate in D.C. ticked slightly downward from September 2018, the number of unemployed persons in October was 22,900 versus 382,400 employed individuals.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, Hawaii’s unemployment rate is only 2.3%. Some of the key industries for the Aloha State include leisure and hospitality, government, and trade, transportation, and utilities.
Iowa, New Hampshire, Idaho, Minnesota, and Nebraska aren’t far behind. Iowa, along with several other Midwestern states, is actually experiencing a problem that comes with a tight labor market: too many jobs and not enough workers to fill them.
Adriana is an associate editor for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @adrianambells.
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