by Calculated Risk on 5/20/2016 11:31:00 AM

From the BLS: Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Summary

Unemployment rates were significantly lower in April in 5 states, higher in 4 states, and stable in 41 states and the District of Columbia, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.
...
South Dakota and New Hampshire had the lowest jobless rates in April, 2.5 percent and 2.6 percent, respectively. The unemployment rate in Arkansas (3.9 percent) set a new series low. (All region, division, and state series begin in 1976.) Alaska and Illinois had the highest rates, 6.6 percent each.
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Click on graph for larger image.

This graph shows the current unemployment rate for each state (red), and the max during the recession (blue). All states are well below the maximum unemployment rate for the recession.

The size of the blue bar indicates the amount of improvement.   The yellow squares are the lowest unemployment rate per state since 1976.

The states are ranked by the highest current unemployment rate. Alaska and Illinois, at 6.6%, had the highest state unemployment rates.

The second graph shows the number of states (and D.C.) with unemployment rates at or above certain levels since January 2006. At the worst of the employment recession, there were 11 states with an unemployment rate at or above 11% (red).

Currently no state has an unemployment rate at or above 7% (light blue); Only seven states and D.C are at or above 6% (dark blue).