Where is unemployment worst

[Biggus Piggus]

By census divisions:

7.2% Pacific
7.0% East North Central
6.7% East South Central
6.1% South Atlantic
5.7% New England
5.7% Middle Atlantic
5.2% West North Central
5.2% Mountain
5.1% West South Central

Most change from recent low:

240 bp Pacific
210 bp South Atlantic
200 bp East South Central
180 bp East North Central
170 bp Mountain
140 bp Middle Atlantic
130 bp New England
130 bp West North Central
80 bp West South Central

The Southwestern states, led predominantly by oil-rich Texas, as a group are in the best shape.  The West Coast, Hawaii and Alaska, worst, though others are catching up.

Worst state unemployment rates:

11.7% Puerto Rico
8.8% Rhode Island
8.7% Michigan
7.8% Mississippi
7.7% California
7.3% Nevada
7.3% South Carolina
7.2% Ohio
7.2% Tennessee
7.1% Kentucky
7.0% District of Columbia
7.0% North Carolina
6.9% Illinois
6.6% Florida
6.5% Georgia

Biggest change from 3-year low:

390 bp Rhode Island
330 bp Florida
320 bp Nevada
290 bp California
270 bp Illinois
270 bp Tennessee
260 bp Puerto Rico
240 bp North Carolina
230 bp Georgia
230 bp Hawaii
230 bp Idaho
210 bp Minnesota
200 bp Connecticut
200 bp Kentucky
200 bp Louisiana
200 bp Michigan

[Biggus Piggus]

Where has unemployment changed the most off its 2008 low (biggest short-term rise in unemployment):

310 bp Rhode Island
230 bp Tennessee
220 bp Idaho
210 bp North Carolina
200 bp Arizona
200 bp California
200 bp Florida
190 bp Kentucky
190 bp Mississippi
190 bp Ohio
180 bp Michigan
180 bp Nevada
180 bp South Carolina
170 bp Indiana
160 bp Alabama
160 bp Georgia
150 bp Illinois
150 bp Louisiana
140 bp Connecticut
140 bp Hawaii
140 bp Minnesota
140 bp Montana
140 bp New York

[Biggus Piggus]

Least change off 3-year low in unemployment rate:

40 bp Arkansas
40 bp West Virginia
60 bp North Dakota
70 bp Oklahoma
70 bp South Dakota
70 bp Wisconsin
70 bp Wyoming
80 bp Iowa
80 bp Nebraska
80 bp New Hampshire
90 bp New Mexico
100 bp Texas

In this sense, Arkansas has one of the healthiest labor markets in America.