Unemployment rate during each governor's tenure
51 governors, ranked by how the unemployment rate changed from their first day in office, next to the United States over the same months. Politare shows what happened during a tenure; it does not claim the office-holder caused it.
| # | Governor | State | In office | Total | vs US | Per year | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Jim Gibbons | Nevada | 1 Jan 2007 – 3 Jan 2011 | +9.2 pp Dec 2006 → Dec 2010 | +4.3 pp US +4.9 pp | +2.3 pp/yr | |
| 2 | Charlie Crist | Florida | 2 Jan 2007 – 4 Jan 2011 | +7.7 pp Dec 2006 → Dec 2010 | +2.8 pp US +4.9 pp | +1.9 pp/yr | |
| 3 | Donald Carcieri | Rhode Island | 7 Jan 2003 – 4 Jan 2011 | +5.8 pp Dec 2002 → Dec 2010 | +2.5 pp US +3.3 pp | +0.7 pp/yr | |
| 4 |  Bill Ritter | Colorado | 9 Jan 2007 – 11 Jan 2011 | +5.5 pp Dec 2006 → Dec 2010 | +0.6 pp US +4.9 pp | +1.4 pp/yr | |
| 5 | Sonny Perdue | Georgia | 13 Jan 2003 – 10 Jan 2011 | +5.4 pp Dec 2002 → Dec 2010 | +2.1 pp US +3.3 pp | +0.7 pp/yr | |
| 6 | Arnold Schwarzenegger | California | 17 Nov 2003 – 3 Jan 2011 | +5.4 pp Oct 2003 → Dec 2010 | +2.1 pp US +3.3 pp | +0.8 pp/yr | |
| 7 | Jon Corzine | New Jersey | 17 Jan 2006 – 19 Jan 2010 | +5.2 pp Dec 2005 → Dec 2009 | +0.2 pp US +5.0 pp | +1.3 pp/yr | |
| 8 | Mike Easley | North Carolina | 6 Jan 2001 – 10 Jan 2009 | +5.2 pp Dec 2000 → Dec 2008 | +1.8 pp US +3.4 pp | +0.7 pp/yr | |
| 9 | Jennifer Granholm | Michigan | 1 Jan 2003 – 1 Jan 2011 | +4.8 pp Dec 2002 → Dec 2010 | +1.5 pp US +3.3 pp | +0.6 pp/yr | |
| 10 | Phil Bredesen | Tennessee | 18 Jan 2003 – 15 Jan 2011 | +4.6 pp Dec 2002 → Dec 2010 | +1.3 pp US +3.3 pp | +0.6 pp/yr |
Showing 10 of 273 tenures.
Sorted by total, highest first. Every row is indexed to the last month complete before the first day in office ("from" marks a start that had to move because that period had no data, or because the period cut it); the United States is measured over the same months. Levels are per cent changes, rates are differences in pp; "per year" compounds levels and divides rates. Tenures with under 12 months, or under three observations, are left out. % of labour force · BLS LAUS via FRED · state data · as of Sep 2026.