15 States Now Have Double-Digit Unemployment

Though overall unemployment figures dropped nationally from 9.5 percent in June to 9.4 percent in July, the Department of Labor reported on Friday that the number of states with double-digit jobless rates now totals 15. The states where the workforce has been hardest hit during the recession are as follows:

Michigan: 15% unemployment
Rhode Island: 12.7%
Nevada: 12.5%
California: 11.9%
Oregon: 11.9%
South Carolina: 11.8%
Ohio: 11.2%
Kentucky: 11.0%
North Carolina: 11.0%
Tennessee: 10.7%
Florida: 10.7%
Indiana: 10.6%
Illinois: 10.4%
Georgia: 10.3%
Alabama: 10.2%

So, which states have fared the best in terms of employment? Oddly, they all reside on the same part of the map:

North Dakota: 4.2% unemployment
South Dakota: 4.9%
Nebraska: 4.9%

Overall, the Bureau of Labor Statistics report found that in July, "nonfarm payroll employment decreased in 29 states, and increased in 21 states and the District of Columbia, and 7 states had no change."