With the unemployment rate now at 14.7% due in large part to the coronavirus, WalletHub today released its report on the States with the Biggest Increases in Unemployment Rates, along with accompanying videos, to illustrate which areas of the country have been most and least impacted by COVID-19’s assault on jobs. This report examines unemployment rates on a monthly basis, complementing the weekly analysis in WalletHub’s report on the States Hit Most by Unemployment Claims.
In order to identify the states with the biggest increases in unemployment rates, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on three key metrics. We looked at the change in each state’s unemployment rate during the latest month for which we have data (April 2020) compared to April 2019 and January 2020. We also considered each state’s overall unemployment rate. Below, you can see highlights from the report, along with a WalletHub Q&A.| Most Affected | Least Affected |
| 1. Nevada | 42. Alaska |
| 2. Hawaii | 43. Arkansas |
| 3. Michigan | 44. Missouri |
| 4. Vermont | 45. Maryland |
| 5. New Hampshire | 46. New Mexico |
| 6. Indiana | 47. Nebraska |
| 7. Rhode Island | 48. District of Columbia |
| 8. Massachusetts | 49. Wyoming |
| 9. New Jersey | 50. Minnesota |
| 10. Ohio | 51. Connecticut |
