The surprising increase in the jobless rate became fodder for Georgia's top political candidates, as Gov. Nathan Deal suggested that politicking was behind the "historically faulty" data and Democrat Jason Carter accused him of a scattershot economic philosophy.

Georgia had the second-worst jobless rate, behind only Mississippi, for the month of July. But Mississippi's rate improved to 7.9 percent in August, while Georgia's ticked up a few tenths of a percent.

Democratic Party chair DuBose Porter had this take on the numbers: "You know it's bad when Mississippi is saying, 'Thank goodness for Georgia.'"

Unemployment Rates for States

Unemployment Rates for States Monthly Rankings Seasonally Adjusted Aug. 2014p
Rank	State	Rate
1	NORTH DAKOTA	2.8
2	NEBRASKA	3.6
2	SOUTH DAKOTA	3.6
2	UTAH	3.6
5	VERMONT	4.1
6	HAWAII	4.3
6	MINNESOTA	4.3
8	NEW HAMPSHIRE	4.4
9	IOWA	4.5
10	WYOMING	4.6
11	IDAHO	4.7
11	MONTANA	4.7
11	OKLAHOMA	4.7
14	KANSAS	4.9
15	COLORADO	5.1
16	TEXAS	5.3
17	MAINE	5.6
17	VIRGINIA	5.6
17	WASHINGTON	5.6
17	WISCONSIN	5.6
21	OHIO	5.7
22	INDIANA	5.8
22	LOUISIANA	5.8
22	MASSACHUSETTS	5.8
22	PENNSYLVANIA	5.8
26	ARKANSAS	6.3
26	FLORIDA	6.3
26	MISSOURI	6.3
29	MARYLAND	6.4
29	NEW YORK	6.4
29	SOUTH CAROLINA	6.4
32	DELAWARE	6.5
33	CONNECTICUT	6.6
33	NEW JERSEY	6.6
33	WEST VIRGINIA	6.6
36	ILLINOIS	6.7
36	NEW MEXICO	6.7
38	ALASKA	6.8
38	NORTH CAROLINA	6.8
40	ALABAMA	6.9
41	ARIZONA	7.1
41	KENTUCKY	7.1
43	OREGON	7.2
44	CALIFORNIA	7.4
44	MICHIGAN	7.4
44	TENNESSEE	7.4
47	DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA	7.6
47	NEVADA	7.6
49	RHODE ISLAND	7.7
50	MISSISSIPPI	7.9
51	GEORGIA	8.1

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