Alternative Measures of Labor Underutilization for States, Third Quarter of 2011 through Second Quarter of 2012 Averages

The six state measures are based on the same definitions as those published for the U.S.:

  • U-1, persons unemployed 15 weeks or longer, as a percent of the civilian labor force;
  • U-2, job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs, as a percent of the civilian labor force;
  • U-3, total unemployed, as a percent of the civilian labor force (this is the definition used for the official unemployment rate);
  • U-4, total unemployed plus discouraged workers, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus discouraged workers;
  • U-5, total unemployed, plus discouraged workers, plus all other marginally attached workers, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all marginally attached workers; and
  • U-6, total unemployed, plus all marginally attached workers, plus total employed part time for economic reasons, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all marginally attached workers.
Alternative measures of labor underutilization by state, third quarter of 2011 through second quarter of 2012 averages (percent)
State Measure
U-1 U-2 U-3 U-4 U-5 U-6

United States

4.9 4.8 8.5 9.1 10.0 15.3

Alabama

4.9 4.9 8.6 9.2 10.3 14.4

Alaska

3.0 4.2 7.6 8.1 9.1 13.2

Arizona

4.8 4.7 8.7 9.2 10.3 16.6

Arkansas

4.0 4.0 7.8 8.3 9.2 13.4

California

6.7 6.5 11.2 11.8 13.0 20.3

Colorado

4.6 5.1 8.3 8.5 9.4 14.8

Connecticut

5.1 5.1 8.2 8.8 9.6 14.5

Delaware

4.3 4.1 7.0 7.5 8.6 13.3

District of Columbia

6.7 4.6 9.7 10.4 11.6 14.5

Florida

6.2 5.4 9.2 10.1 10.8 17.0

Georgia

6.0 5.1 9.7 10.4 11.4 16.4

Hawaii

4.3 3.8 7.3 7.7 9.0 14.8

Idaho

3.9 4.1 7.9 8.2 9.2 15.7

Illinois

5.9 5.7 9.4 10.0 10.6 16.5

Indiana

5.1 4.6 8.9 9.3 10.1 15.0

Iowa

2.4 2.7 5.4 5.6 6.4 10.5

Kansas

3.0 3.5 6.3 6.6 7.2 11.2

Kentucky

4.6 5.0 8.8 9.3 10.1 14.9

Louisiana

4.3 3.4 7.7 8.2 9.3 13.0

Maine

4.0 4.7 7.8 8.1 9.4 14.8

Maryland

4.1 4.0 7.1 7.8 8.8 12.7

Massachusetts

3.8 4.2 6.6 7.2 8.0 13.5

Michigan

5.5 5.3 9.4 10.3 11.4 17.4

Minnesota

2.9 3.2 5.9 6.3 7.1 12.1

Mississippi

5.6 5.2 9.7 10.1 11.5 15.4

Missouri

4.0 4.4 7.5 7.9 8.6 13.2

Montana

2.8 3.6 6.5 6.8 7.7 14.3

Nebraska

1.8 2.1 4.3 4.5 5.0 9.1

Nevada

7.9 7.7 12.3 13.4 14.9 22.1

New Hampshire

2.7 3.3 5.5 5.8 6.5 11.2

New Jersey

5.9 6.0 9.2 9.9 10.7 15.5

New Mexico

4.3 3.4 7.3 7.8 9.4 15.3

New York

5.3 5.1 8.7 9.4 10.4 14.6

North Carolina

6.2 5.7 9.8 10.3 11.2 17.5

North Dakota

1.1 1.6 3.4 3.5 4.0 6.1

Ohio

4.5 4.5 8.0 8.3 9.2 14.0

Oklahoma

2.6 2.9 5.8 6.2 7.1 10.3

Oregon

4.7 5.4 9.1 9.4 10.7 17.4

Pennsylvania

4.2 4.6 7.7 8.2 9.2 13.9

Rhode Island

7.0 7.1 11.2 11.8 12.7 18.9

South Carolina

5.9 5.6 10.0 10.8 11.8 17.0

South Dakota

1.2 1.8 4.5 5.1 5.7 8.6

Tennessee

4.5 4.5 8.2 8.7 9.6 13.8

Texas

3.6 3.7 7.3 7.8 8.5 13.1

Utah

2.9 3.3 6.2 6.6 7.3 12.2

Vermont

2.1 3.1 5.3 5.6 6.4 10.9

Virginia

3.7 3.3 6.5 6.9 7.6 12.0

Washington

4.8 5.0 8.7 9.2 10.4 17.0

West Virginia

3.9 4.0 7.5 8.0 8.7 12.8

Wisconsin

3.7 4.0 7.3 7.6 8.4 13.3

Wyoming

2.3 2.8 5.8 6.1 6.8 10.7

                              Substate areas

Los Angeles County

7.2 6.6 11.8 12.5 13.6 22.1

New York City

6.4 5.8 9.7 10.7 11.8 15.8

 

Last Modified Date: July 27, 2012