Absolute number of unemployed people per state and percentage of unemployed people compared to total labor force, represented with circle area and color respectively. Wait for the map to settle (up to 20s), then watch the expansion and contraction over the years by pressing play. Note there will be always be a trend for the circles to grow as the labor force expands over time even with non-varying unemployment rates.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, local area unemployment statistics, statewide

Code: Adapted from ACM Queue utilizing Protovis

Adaption: Data Driven