Civilian labor force population: 3,133,600
May 2013 unemployment rate: 8.3 percent
Tennessee鈥檚 unemployment rate has trickled up slightly every month this year, with most of the losses coming from layoffs in the public sector, according to the state鈥檚 economists. Government employment dropped 1.4 percent year over year. Another contributing factor: the state鈥檚 labor force swelled to a record high in May.