Features Published February 9, 2012 9:00am EST | Updated February 8, 2017 2:30pm EST States With High Unemployment Rates Comments FOXBusiness Here are the states with the highest unemployment rates as of December 2011, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Reuters) Nevada 12.6% (Reuters) California 11.1% (Reuters) Rhode Island 10.8% Mississippi 10.4% District of Columbia 10.4% North Carolina 9.9% Florida 9.9% Illinois 9.8% Georgia 9.7% South Carolina 9.5%