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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 won't do you any good if there just aren'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
What is Alaska's top industry? who have highest rates? Which states have the highest unemployment rates? which is Alaska's top industry? What can high unemployment rats do?
Government Michigan Mississippi Government more difficult it is to find a job.
question: What is Alaska's top industry?, answer: Government | question: who have highest rates?, answer: Michigan | question: Which states have the highest unemployment rates?, answer: Mississippi | question: which is Alaska's top industry?, answer: Government | question: What can high unemployment rats do?, answer: more difficult it is to find a job.