And in many states, unemployment has fallen well below the national average, which was 8.1 percent last month. The rate was under 7 percent in 22 states in April. That compares with only 13 states in April 2011.

The Labor Department said Friday that the unemployment rate dropped in 37 states in April, the most in three months. Unemployment rose in 5 states and was unchanged in eight.

Nationally, the unemployment rate has fallen a full percentage point since August. Employers have added a million jobs over the past five months, though the pace of hiring slowed in March and April.

The national rate has also declined because some people gave up looking for work. The government counts people as unemployed only if they are actively looking for a job.

The states with the lowest unemployment continue to be in the upper Midwest with small populations. North Dakota’s rate was 3 percent in April, the lowest in the country. It was followed by Nebraska at 3.9 percent and South Dakota at 4.3 percent.

Still, unemployment is also relatively low in some large states, such as Minnesota and Virginia. Both had a 5.6 percent unemployment rate in April.

The rate has fallen by a full percentage in Minnesota during past 12 months. In Virginia, it has dropped half a point in that timeframe.

Texas, the nation’s second-largest state, also has low unemployment. The rate dropped to 6.9 percent last month, down from 8 percent a year ago. Texas has added almost 250,000 jobs in the past year, the most in the nation.

The rate was 5 percent in Oklahoma, 5.1 percent in Iowa, 5 percent in New Hampshire, and 6.3 percent in Massachusetts.

Many of those states have seen job gains. Iowa added 5,800 jobs in April, while Nebraska gained 3,800. Indiana added the most jobs of any state last month, with 17,100.

Overall, 32 states added jobs in April, the department said.

Still, other states continue to struggle.

Nevada reported the highest unemployment rate in the nation, at 11.7 percent. Rhode Island was next at 11.2 percent, followed by California at 10.9 percent.

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Kim Spradlin on “Survivor: One World”
Photo: CBS

A foulmouthed special-ed teacher, a medical-sales-repping Southern belle, an indecisive career consultant from Hollywood, a sneaky bridal shop owner and a high school teacher from Brooklyn: These are the women competing for the million-dollar prize on Sunday night’s (May 13) “Survivor: One World” season finale.

In a season dominated by just one contestant — 29-year-old Kim Spradlin, who has won numerous immunity challenges and forged multiple alliances to get to the endgame — predicting the “One World” winner isn’t quite as challenging as it’s been in “Survivor” seasons of yore. But this is “Survivor” we’re talking about, and twists are the name of the game. There’s no shortage of curveballs that could be thrown at the final five contestants in tonight’s race for the Sole Survivor title.

As we’ve done all season long, MTV News joined forces with two-time “Survivor” contestant and regular commentator Rob Cesternino once again for his final “One World” predictions.

Most Likely to Win: Kim Spradlin
“Since the departure of Colton, ‘Survivor: One World’ has been the season of Kim,” Cesternino said. “She’s been in control of every single thing that’s happened the whole way. She’s had her finger on the pulse of the game. She played an amazing game and I think it would be almost criminal if she did not win — barring a total collapse during the finale.”

Least Likely to Win: Christina Cha
“Christina at no point in the game has been in a favorable position,” Rob reasoned. “It seems unlikely to think that she’ll run off with two consecutive immunity challenges here at the end, when she’s never even been in the mix to win one immunity challenge. She doesn’t have the respect of the jury, considering some of those people were terrified by the possibility of going home before Christina. She hasn’t done anything to get there.”

Dark-Horse Pick: Sabrina Thompson
“I think she is very savvy,” the former player said. “I also think she’s well-liked by the jury. I think she could be an alternative to Kim in the finals, where she’s able to sit there and say, ‘Look, I didn’t lie to you, and I didn’t backstab you. That was all Kim. All of that bad stuff? Kim. I was here the whole way, and I was tough.’ Sabrina is someone who could at least get a couple of votes in the finals. Maybe, if the jury goes anti-Kim, she could potentially squeak out a victory.”

Worst-Case Scenario: Bitter Jury Syndrome
“I think it would be a shame if Kim makes it all the way to the finals and ends up losing the jury vote just as a way of getting back at her for voting out all of the men in the game,” Rob said. “It’s happened before on ‘Survivor,’ where the jury is bitter. I don’t think Kim’s social game has been lacking. It would be good to see someone who plays the best game get rewarded by the jury. Otherwise, as Russell Hantz has said before, the game would be flawed.”

Biggest Possible Surprise: Kim Goes at Four
“The most surprising thing that could happen at the end of the season, for me, would be that one of these players smartens up and realizes that Kim has had the immunity idol and can’t play it once she hits the final four. If she doesn’t win that immunity challenge, the smartest thing that any of them can do is to take her out,” Cesternino said. “If I’m Chelsea, and if I’m Sabrina, I don’t know how I’ve gone this far without ever trying to take out Kim. It kills me to see these players roll over and die and give this game to Kim as they’ve done all season. If they turned on her at the final four, I would be very surprised.”

Get more of Rob’s thoughts on “Survivor” by following him on Twitter.

Previously on MTV News’ “Survivor” coverage:
» “Survivor: One World” gets Tarzaned
» Troyzan surrenders his island
» Leif gets blown away
» Kimsanity heats up
» Tarzan denies “poop pants” allegations

Leave your “Survivor One World” predictions in the comments section or tweet them my way at @roundhoward!

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