Unemployment rates fell or held steady last month in nine key swing states at the center of this year’s presidential…
| Unemployment rates fell or held steady last month in nine key swing states at the center of this year’s presidential election. |
| Rates dropped in Ohio, Florida, Wisconsin, Colorado, Iowa, Nevada and North Carolina. They were unchanged in New Hampshire and Virginia. |
| Overall, rates fell in 41 states last month, the Labor Department said Friday. They rose in six and were unchanged in three. |
| Here are the unemployment rates for all 50 states, compared to the previous month and a year ago: |
| State unemployment rates |
| Figures in percentages |
| September August Sept. 2011 |
| Alabama 8.3 8.5 8.8 |
| Alaska 7.5 7.7 7.6 |
| Arizona 8.2 8.3 9.4 |
| Arkansas 7.1 7.3 8.1 |
| California 10.2 10.6 11.7 |
| Colorado 8 8.2 8.2 |
| Connecticut 8.9 9 8.6 |
| Delaware 6.8 6.9 7.4 |
| Florida 8.7 8.8 10.4 |
| Georgia 9 9.2 9.8 |
| Hawaii 5.7 6.1 6.8 |
| Idaho 7.1 7.4 8.7 |
| Illinois 8.8 9.1 10.1 |
| Indiana 8.2 8.3 9.2 |
| Iowa 5.2 5.5 5.9 |
| Kansas 5.9 6.2 6.7 |
| Kentucky 8.4 8.5 9.5 |
| Louisiana 7 7.4 7.2 |
| Maine 7.6 7.7 7.4 |
| Maryland 6.9 7.1 7.1 |
| Massachusetts 6.5 6.3 7.2 |
| Michigan 9.3 9.4 10.2 |
| Minnesota 5.8 5.9 6.3 |
| Mississippi 9.2 9.1 10.9 |
| Missouri 6.9 7.2 8.5 |
| Montana 6.1 6.3 6.9 |
| Nebraska 3.9 4 4.4 |
| Nevada 11.8 12.1 13.6 |
| New Hampshire 5.7 5.7 5.4 |
| New Jersey 9.8 9.9 9.4 |
| New Mexico 6.4 6.5 7.4 |
| New York 8.9 9.1 8.3 |
| North Carolina 9.6 9.7 10.7 |
| North Dakota 3 3 3.6 |
| Ohio 7 7.2 8.6 |
| Oklahoma 5.2 5.1 6.3 |
| Oregon 8.7 8.9 9.4 |
| Pennsylvania 8.2 8.1 8 |
| Rhode Island 10.5 10.7 11.3 |
| South Carolina 9.1 9.6 10.2 |
| South Dakota 4.4 4.5 4.5 |
| Tennessee 8.3 8.5 9.1 |
| Texas 6.8 7.1 7.9 |
| Utah 5.4 5.8 6.5 |
| Vermont 5.4 5.3 5.5 |
| Virginia 5.9 5.9 6.3 |
| Washington 8.5 8.6 9 |
| Washington, D.C. 8.7 8.8 10.4 |
| West Virginia 7.6 7.5 8 |
| Wisconsin 7.3 7.5 7.4 |
| Wyoming 5.4 5.7 5.9 |
