Submitted by Fox First at Ten on October 19th
By The Associated Press
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
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
