More than half of states see jobless rate hikes

By Bernie Becker - 09/21/12 01:28 PM ET

Just over half of states saw their unemployment rise in August, the Labor Department said Friday, just months before voters go to the polls.

In all, 26 states had an unemployment rate increase in August, a month in which the economy added a disappointing 96,000 jobs.

Twelve states apiece either saw their rate drop, or had no change.

Overall, the unemployment rate dropped to 8.1 percent in August, but has also remained between 8.1 and 8.3 percent for all of 2012.

The findings come just ahead of November’s elections, and as President Obama and his GOP opponent, Mitt Romney, continue to spar over who would do a better job on the economy.

With that in mind, the Labor Department’s latest figures showed that more than a few of the key battleground states had a bump in their unemployment rate in August.

Obama has led in many recent swing state polls, with Romney’s campaign seen as struggling in recent weeks.

As of right now, the unemployment rate in about half of the dozen or so most contested states is below the national average, with the other half with either a higher or the same 8.1 percent rate.

Michigan, where Romney’s father served as governor, saw its rate jump to 9.4 percent, up from 8.6 percent in June and 9 percent in July.

Still, Michigan’s rate is also a full percentage point lower than it was this time last year.

Nevada, which continues to have the highest jobless rate in the country, also saw its rate tick up, from 12 percent to 12.1 percent. New Hampshire (now 5.7 percent) and Wisconsin (7.5 percent) saw rises in their jobless rates as well.

But Florida, the biggest swing state prize of all, with 29 electoral votes, saw its rate drop from 9.5 percent to 9.2 percent.

And Ohio (7.2 percent) and Virginia (5.9 percent), two states which Obama flipped in 2008 and which have gotten major GOP attention, saw their rates both stay the same and remain well under the national average.