Question

The data contained in the file named StateUnemp show the unemployment rate in March 2011 and the unemployment rate in March 2012 for every state.†

State      Unemploy-

ment Rate

March 2011        Unemploy-

ment Rate

March 2012

Alabama              9.3          7.3

Alaska 7.6          7.0

Arizona                 9.6          8.6

Arkansas              8.0          7.4

California             11.9       11.0

Colorado              8.5          7.8

Connecticut        9.1          7.7

Delaware             7.3          6.9

Florida 10.7       9.0

Georgia                9.8          9.0

Hawaii 6.6          6.4

Idaho     8.7          7.9

Illinois 9.3          8.8

Indiana 8.8          8.2

Iowa      5.9          5.2

Kansas 6.8          6.2

Kentucky             9.7          8.6

Louisiana             7.5          7.1

Maine 7.8          7.2

Maryland             7.1          6.6

Massachusetts 7.5          6.5

Michigan              10.5       8.5

Minnesota          6.6          5.8

Mississippi          10.5       9.0

Missouri               8.7          7.4

State      Unemploy-

ment Rate

March 2011        Unemploy-

ment Rate

March 2012

Montana              6.8          6.2

Nebraska             4.5          4.0

Nevada                 13.6       12.0

New Hampshire                5.4          5.2

New Jersey         9.3          9.0

New Mexico       7.5          7.2

New York             8.0          8.5

North Carolina 10.4       9.7

North Dakota     3.4          3.0

Ohio      8.8          7.5

Oklahoma            5.9          5.4

Oregon 9.6          8.6

Pennsylvania      7.9          7.5

Rhode Island      11.2       11.1

South Carolina 10.4       8.9

South Dakota     4.9          4.3

Tennessee          9.4          7.9

Texas     8.0          7.0

Utah      7.1          5.8

Vermont              5.8          4.8

Virginia                 6.2          5.6

Washington        9.4          8.3

West Virginia     8.0          6.9

Wisconsin            7.6          6.8

Wyoming             6.1          5.3

To compare unemployment rates in March 2011 with unemployment rates in March 2012, compute the first quartile, the median, and the third quartile for the March 2011 unemployment data and the March 2012 unemployment data.

                March 2011        March 2012

First Quartile      Incorrect: Your answer is incorrect.          Incorrect: Your answer is incorrect.

Median                 Correct: Your answer is correct. Incorrect: Your answer is incorrect.

Third Quartile    Incorrect: Your answer is incorrect.          Incorrect: Your answer is incorrect.

What do these statistics suggest about the change in unemployment rates across the states?

The first quartile for March 2011 is

Correct: Your answer is correct. the first quartile for March 2012 and the third quartile for March 2011 is Correct: Your answer is correct. the third quartile for March 2012. Also, the median for March 2011 is Correct: Your answer is correct. the median for March 2012. Since Correct: Your answer is correct. for March 2012 are Correct: Your answer is correct. those reported for March 2011, unemployment rates across the states are Correct: Your answer is correct. .

Answer 1