New York ranks 3rd worst among states on COVID-19 jobless recovery

With a 7.8 percent jobless rate as of May, New York ranked third worst among the 50 states and the District of Columbia for its unemployment recovery during the coronavirus pandemic, according to an analysis from the personal finance website WalletHub.

Unemployment in the state was up 104.5 percent in May of 2021 compared to May of 2019, the analysis found.

Nationwide, the jobless rate in May stood at 5.8 percent, well below the coronavirus-era high of 14.7 percent, according to WalletHub. The study attributed the drop in the jobless rate over that time to an increased availability of COVID-19 vaccinations and the end of coronavirus restrictions around the country.

WalletHub ranked each state’s progress based on five key categories that compare jobless rates and claims in May 2021 to various times in 2019 and 2020.

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Which States’ Jobless Rates Are Rebounding the Most

Overall RankStateUnemployment Rate (May 2021)Change in Unemployment (May 2021 vs. May 2019)Change in Unemployment (May 2021 vs. January 2020)Change in Unemployment (May 2021 vs. May 2020)Not Seasonally Adjusted Continued Claims (May 2021 vs. May 2019)1Vermont2.6%7.8%-5.1%-74.1%167.4%2Utah2.7%8.2%11.1%-62.9%87.9%3Nebraska2.6%-13.6%-13.0%-52.0%136.0%4South Dakota2.8%-6.5%-3.8%-59.8%122.9%5Idaho3.0%12.9%19.8%-62.7%48.1%6New Hampshire2.5%-6.4%-6.5%-81.9%428.9%7Alabama3.4%10.6%27.0%-56.8%7.9%8Kansas3.5%13.7%11.7%-60.8%22.8%9Montana3.6%1.8%-2.4%-59.7%66.2%10Oklahoma4.0%32.7%29.8%-57.6%-29.4%11Minnesota4.0%25.0%22.3%-65.3%137.8%12Kentucky4.5%4.4%3.7%-60.8%19.6%13Iowa3.9%35.3%28.8%-53.9%79.1%14Wisconsin3.9%18.2%17.1%-62.2%206.7%15North Dakota4.0%68.6%74.5%-55.3%66.1%16Indiana4.0%24.4%26.4%-65.5%321.0%17Arkansas4.4%26.4%17.8%-48.5%109.4%18Missouri4.2%33.8%16.5%-53.8%233.1%19Ohio5.0%18.7%3.8%-67.9%133.7%20Michigan5.0%13.6%28.0%-76.0%185.1%21North Carolina4.8%22.5%33.4%-63.0%154.7%22Georgia4.1%15.4%21.8%-55.2%421.1%23Washington5.3%25.6%30.7%-57.9%74.8%24South Carolina4.6%59.3%77.6%-59.6%192.3%25Virginia4.5%59.0%72.1%-47.7%198.0%26West Virginia5.5%15.0%8.3%-53.0%98.7%27Maine4.7%74.4%51.2%-44.2%137.1%28Florida4.9%50.4%47.0%-64.5%291.7%29Tennessee5.0%52.3%33.7%-45.0%246.2%30Wyoming5.4%56.2%20.8%-37.1%79.2%31Rhode Island5.8%59.4%46.8%-53.6%200.1%32Oregon5.9%58.8%76.9%-48.7%124.6%33Delaware5.9%72.5%36.2%-54.5%214.6%34Mississippi6.1%12.8%8.7%-41.9%272.3%35Massachusetts6.1%101.2%114.7%-58.6%68.2%36Alaska6.7%22.0%32.4%-41.7%73.9%37Maryland6.1%67.8%71.4%-32.2%111.2%38Arizona6.7%41.1%41.4%-36.6%114.0%39Pennsylvania6.9%55.6%37.6%-49.7%125.6%40Texas6.5%92.6%82.2%-41.6%95.3%41Colorado6.2%143.2%134.7%-45.1%120.8%42Illinois7.1%66.0%97.6%-53.9%119.3%43New Jersey7.2%120.6%91.0%-56.7%52.9%44Louisiana7.1%60.8%33.9%-45.4%281.1%45District of Columbia7.2%30.2%42.2%-17.8%201.6%46California7.9%88.9%80.8%-48.0%66.0%47Connecticut7.7%100.5%91.9%-37.4%134.4%48Nevada7.8%99.8%109.0%-65.2%303.4%49New York7.8%104.5%104.6%-47.7%189.9%50New Mexico8.0%58.4%53.8%-16.1%211.7%51Hawaii8.1%207.8%278.4%-62.8%153.7%

Source: WalletHub.com

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