These 10 States have the Highest Rates of Unemployment

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released data today for the January, 2009 unemployment rates by state... These 11 states have the dubious distinction of having the highest unemployment rates in the U.S.

1. Michigan ---11.6%
2. South Carolina -- 10.4%
3. Rhode Island -- 10.3%
   
4. California--10.1%
5. Oregon -- 9.9%
   
6. North Carolina --9.7%
7. Nevada -- 9.4%
   
8. Indiana -- 9.2%
9. Ohio -- 8.8%
   
10. Florida -- 8.6%
11. Georgia -- 8.6%
    
12. Tennessee -- 8.6%

To compound the issues 23 states experienced at least a 1 percentage point increase in unemployment in one month---And EVERY STATE experienced an increase in unemployment (December 2008 vs. January 2009)---Clearly the unemployment trend is geographically broad and deep.