Pennsylvania's unemployment rate compared to other states (York, California: population, to work)

[Craziaskowboi]

As of June 2011, only 17 states have lower unemployment rates than Pennsylvania:

3.2% - North Dakota
4.1% - Nebraska
4.8% - South Dakota
4.9% - New Hampshire
5.3% - Oklahoma
5.5% - Vermont
5.9% - Wyoming
6.0% - Hawaii
6.0% - Iowa
6.0% - Virginia
6.6% - Kansas
6.7% - Minnesota
6.8% - New Mexico
7.0% - Maryland
7.4% - Utah
7.5% - Alaska
7.5% - Montana

Massachusetts and Wisconsin have unemployment rates identical to Pennsylvania (7.6%).

Unemployment rates among the 12 most populous states (each with populations of 8,000,000+) shake out like this:

6.0% - Virginia
7.6% - Pennsylvania
8.0% - New York
8.2% - Texas
8.8% - Ohio
9.2% - Illinois
9.5% - New Jersey
9.9% - Georgia
9.9% - North Carolina
10.5% - Michigan
10.6% - Florida
11.8% - California

[Lehigh Valley Native]

Do those numbers take into account only the people currently collecting unemployment or does it include the people who have dropped off the program and are still unemployed?

[Craziaskowboi]

Originally Posted by Lehigh Valley Native

Do those numbers take into account only the people currently collecting unemployment or does it include the people who have dropped off the program and are still unemployed?

If they're unemployed and still searching, then they're counted. The only people who aren't counted are those who have given up searching.

[numberman]

The numbers in the rate are survey based. In that survey, there are three criteria that must be met in order for someone to be counted as unemployed in regards to the unemployment rate. You have to be able to work, available for work and actively searching for work.

Whether you are collecting benefits or not has no bearing on the rate.