Editor 's note : CNN.com has a business partnership with CareerBuilder.com , which serves as the exclusive provider of job listings and services to CNN.com . If you 've rewritten that résumé several times and sent out dozens of applications but your job search still shows no promise , you might not be the problem . One frequently overlooked but critical factor in finding a new job is your state 's unemployment rate . You can have the experience and skills of an employer 's dream , but they wo n't do you any good if there just are n't enough jobs available . The unemployment rate is the percentage of job seekers in the work force who are still looking for work . The higher the percentage , the more difficult it is to find a job . The national unemployment rate is 5 percent , based on the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics ( BLS ) . If you 're looking for a job , you should see how your state compares to the rest of the country . Here are the 10 worst states to find work ranked by their unemployment rates . 1 . Michigan Unemployment rate : 7.6 percent Population : 10,071,822 Mean annual wage : $ 41,230 Top industry : Trade , transportation and utilities ( 18.4 percent ) *** . 2 . Mississippi Unemployment rate : 6.8 percent Population : 2,918,785 Mean annual wage : $ 30,460 Top industry : Government ( 21.2 percent ) 3 . South Carolina Unemployment rate : 6.6 percent Population : 4,407,709 Mean annual wage : $ 33,400 Top industry : Trade , transportation and utilities ( 19.4 percent ) 4 . Alaska Unemployment rate : 6.5 percent Population : 683,478 Mean annual wage : $ 43,920 Top industry : Government ( 25.9 percent ) 5 . California Unemployment rate : 6.1 percent Population : 36,553,215 Mean annual wage : $ 44,180 Top industry : Trade , transportation and utilities ( 18.9 percent ) 6 . District of Columbia Unemployment rate : 6.1 percent Population : 588,292 Mean annual wage : $ 61,500 Top industry : Government ( 33.3 percent ) 7 . Ohio Unemployment rate : 6 percent Population : 11,466,917 Mean annual wage : $ 37,360 Top industry : Trade , transportation and utilities ( 19.3 percent ) 8 . Arkansas Unemployment rate : 5.9 percent Population : 2,834,797 Mean annual wage : $ 30,870 Top industry : Trade , transportation and utilities ( 20.6 percent ) 9 . Nevada Unemployment rate : 5.8 percent Population : 2,565,382 Mean annual wage : $ 36,000 Top industry : Leisure and hospitality ( 26.5 percent ) 10 . Kentucky Unemployment rate : 5.7 percent Population : 4,241,474 Mean annual wage : $ 33,490 Top industry : Trade , transportation and utilities ( 20.4 percent ) *Unemployment rates , mean annual wages and industry percentages obtained from BLS in January 2008 . Percentages based on nonfarm payrolls , seasonally adjusted . **Population figures based on U.S. Census Bureau data . ***Top industries are those that employ the largest percentage of a state 's labor force . E-mail to a friend . Copyright CareerBuilder.com 2009 . All rights reserved . The information contained in this article may not be published , broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority .
High unemployment rates can affect job creation . Michigan , Georgia and South Carolina have highest rates . Alaska 's top industry is government .