Worse than Meets the Eyes -- US Unemployment

The national unemployment rate in USA is 8.5% at the end of March. Regional rates show an astoundingly bad situation. Note how some of the largest states are doing, especially California, the 6th largest economy in the world, were it a separate country. Data are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Government. The national average is helped by the less disastrous "farm belt" states such as Iowa, Wyoming, Utah and others. But unemployment there is also rising. So more bad news maybe expected.

Table A.  States with unemployment rates significantly differ-
ent from that of the U.S., March 2009, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------
               State                |          Rate(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------
United States (1) ...................|           8.5
                                    |
Arkansas ............................|           6.5
California ..........................|          11.2
Colorado ............................|           7.5
Connecticut .........................|           7.5
Delaware ............................|           7.7
District of Columbia ................|           9.8
Florida .............................|           9.7
Hawaii ..............................|           7.1
Idaho ...............................|           7.0
Indiana .............................|          10.0
                                    |
Iowa ................................|           5.2
Kansas ..............................|           6.1
Kentucky ............................|           9.8
Louisiana ...........................|           5.8
Maryland ............................|           6.9
Michigan ............................|          12.6
Montana .............................|           6.1
Nebraska ............................|           4.6
Nevada ..............................|          10.4
New Hampshire .......................|           6.2
                                    |
New Mexico ..........................|           5.9
New York ............................|           7.8
North Carolina ......................|          10.8
North Dakota ........................|           4.2
Ohio ................................|           9.7
Oklahoma ............................|           5.9
Oregon ..............................|          12.1
Pennsylvania ........................|           7.8
Rhode Island ........................|          10.5
South Carolina ......................|          11.4
                                    |
South Dakota ........................|           4.9
Tennessee ...........................|           9.6
Texas ...............................|           6.7
Utah ................................|           5.2
Vermont .............................|           7.2
Virginia ............................|           6.8
West Virginia .......................|           6.9
Wyoming .............................|           4.5