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 | R 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 | R 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 | D 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 | |
| 4 | D Jon Corzine | New Jersey | 17 Jan 2006 – 19 Jan 2010 from Feb 2006 | +5.1 pp Feb 2006 → Dec 2009 | −0.0 pp US +5.1 pp | +1.3 pp/yr | |
| 5 | D Adrian Fenty | District of Columbia | 1 Jan 2007 – 2 Jan 2011 | +4.1 pp Dec 2006 → Dec 2010 | −0.8 pp US +4.9 pp | +1.0 pp/yr | |
| 6 | D Tim Kaine | Virginia | 14 Jan 2006 – 16 Jan 2010 from Feb 2006 | +4.0 pp Feb 2006 → Dec 2009 | −1.1 pp US +5.1 pp | +1.0 pp/yr | |
| 7 | D Ted Strickland | Ohio | 8 Jan 2007 – 10 Jan 2011 | +3.8 pp Dec 2006 → Dec 2010 | −1.1 pp US +4.9 pp | +1.0 pp/yr | |
| 8 | D David Paterson | New York | 17 Mar 2008 – 1 Jan 2011 | +3.8 pp Feb 2008 → Dec 2010 | −0.6 pp US +4.4 pp | +1.3 pp/yr | |
| 9 | D Chet Culver | Iowa | 12 Jan 2007 – 14 Jan 2011 | +2.2 pp Dec 2006 → Dec 2010 | −2.7 pp US +4.9 pp | +0.6 pp/yr | |
| 10 | R Bobby Jindal | Louisiana | 14 Jan 2008 – 11 Jan 2016 | +2.0 pp Dec 2007 → Dec 2015 | +2.0 pp US 0.0 pp | +0.3 pp/yr |
Showing 10 of 139 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 Aug 2026.