The coronavirus pandemic and subsequent economic lockdown have caused unprecedented damage to the U.S. economy: In less than four months, 48 million Americans filed for unemployment aid.
But as businesses start to reopen, the jobs market has started its nascent recovery. The Labor Department reported on Thursday that employers added 4.8 million jobs in June -- a record -- and the unemployment rate fell to 11.1 percent.
Job losses are not proportional across the country. Some states have experienced a surge of layoffs -- in May, 43 states set record jobless rate highs -- while the losses have been more tempered in other states.
The unemployment rate is lowest in these 10 states, according to Department of Labor data released at the end of June:
- Nebraska: 5.2 percent
- Utah: 8.5 percent
- Wyoming: 8.8 percent
- Arizona: 8.9 percent
- Idaho: 8.9 percent
- Montana: 9 percent
- North Dakota: 9.1 percent
- New Mexico: 9.2 percent
- Maine: 9.3 percent
- Connecticut: 9.4 percent
Nebraska's unemployment is so low in part because the state does not have a heavy reliance on tourism, and its biggest economic generators are food production, trucking and rail, and insurance and financial services.
Food and commercial transportation were considered essential during the virus lockdown, while employees in the insurance and financial services industry were likely able to work from home.