Unemployment rate by state
In September 2026 the District of Columbia had the highest unemployment rate, 5.6%, followed by California and Connecticut (5.1% each). South Dakota had the lowest, 2.0%, ahead of North Dakota (2.2%). The national rate was 4.2%1.
Data as of October 29, 2026 (newest release used on this page).
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, 2024 Cartographic Boundary Files. Darker states are higher; DC is the dot. Period: 2026-09 (preliminary).
The table ranks every state by its unemployment rate for September 2026, the latest month published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Next to it are the 2025 annual average and the labor force participation rate for the same month: the share of the civilian population 16 and older that is working or looking for work. Sort any column by clicking its heading.
| 1 | District of Columbia | 5.6% | Higher | 6.3% | 70.3% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| =2 | California | 5.1% | Higher | 5.5% | 61.4% |
| =2 | Connecticut | 5.1% | Higher | 4.0% | 62.1% |
| =4 | Michigan | 5.0% | Higher | 5.2% | 58.5% |
| =4 | Oregon | 5.0% | Higher | 5.2% | 62.6% |
| 6 | Arizona | 4.9% | Higher | 4.3% | 59.7% |
| 7 | Washington | 4.8% | Higher | 4.7% | 62.0% |
| =8 | Kentucky | 4.7% | Higher | 4.6% | 57.9% |
| =8 | Nevada | 4.7% | Higher | 5.3% | 62.3% |
| =8 | New Mexico | 4.7% | Higher | 4.2% | 56.6% |
| =11 | Delaware | 4.6% | Higher | 4.8% | 57.8% |
| =11 | Illinois | 4.6% | Higher | 4.6% | 63.0% |
| 13 | Minnesota | 4.5% | Higher | 3.9% | 66.7% |
| =14 | Florida | 4.4% | Higher | 3.9% | 57.3% |
| =14 | Texas | 4.4% | Higher | 4.2% | 64.2% |
| =16 | Alaska | 4.3% | Higher | 4.7% | 65.3% |
| =16 | Massachusetts | 4.3% | Higher | 4.5% | 65.4% |
| =16 | New York | 4.3% | Higher | 4.3% | 61.3% |
| =19 | New Jersey | 4.2% | Not significant | 5.2% | 63.7% |
| =19 | Oklahoma | 4.2% | Not significant | 3.4% | 61.9% |
| 21 | Colorado | 4.1% | Lower | 4.0% | 65.2% |
| =22 | Louisiana | 4.0% | Lower | 4.3% | 58.3% |
| =22 | South Carolina | 4.0% | Lower | 4.5% | 58.8% |
| =22 | West Virginia | 4.0% | Lower | 4.2% | 53.8% |
| =25 | Arkansas | 3.9% | Lower | 4.1% | 59.1% |
| =25 | Maryland | 3.9% | Lower | 4.0% | 63.7% |
| 27 | Kansas | 3.8% | Lower | 3.8% | 66.4% |
| =28 | Idaho | 3.6% | Lower | 3.7% | 61.4% |
| =28 | Missouri | 3.6% | Lower | 4.0% | 63.3% |
| =28 | Pennsylvania | 3.6% | Lower | 4.3% | 62.6% |
| =28 | Rhode Island | 3.6% | Lower | 4.5% | 62.0% |
| =28 | Virginia | 3.6% | Lower | 3.4% | 62.7% |
| =33 | Alabama | 3.5% | Lower | 2.9% | 56.8% |
| =33 | Utah | 3.5% | Lower | 3.6% | 66.5% |
| =35 | Indiana | 3.4% | Lower | 3.7% | 63.1% |
| =35 | North Carolina | 3.4% | Lower | 3.8% | 57.8% |
| =35 | Ohio | 3.4% | Lower | 4.6% | 61.2% |
| =35 | Tennessee | 3.4% | Lower | 3.5% | 59.3% |
| =39 | Georgia | 3.3% | Lower | 3.4% | 61.1% |
| =39 | Maine | 3.3% | Lower | 3.4% | 58.5% |
| =39 | Mississippi | 3.3% | Lower | 3.8% | 54.5% |
| =42 | Iowa | 3.2% | Lower | 3.5% | 66.9% |
| =42 | Wisconsin | 3.2% | Lower | 3.2% | 64.9% |
| 44 | Montana | 3.1% | Lower | 3.3% | 61.4% |
| 45 | Wyoming | 3.0% | Lower | 3.4% | 60.2% |
| 46 | Nebraska | 2.9% | Lower | 3.0% | 69.2% |
| 47 | Hawaii | 2.8% | Lower | 2.4% | 61.3% |
| =48 | New Hampshire | 2.6% | Lower | 3.2% | 64.8% |
| =48 | Vermont | 2.6% | Lower | 2.7% | 62.1% |
| 50 | North Dakota | 2.2% | Lower | 2.6% | 68.9% |
| 51 | South Dakota | 2.0% | Lower | 2.1% | 66.3% |
| United States | 4.2% | 4.3% | 61.8% |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics. Period: 2026-09 (preliminary). "=" marks a tie at the displayed precision.
The ten highest and ten lowest rates this month
After the District of Columbia (5.6%), the highest rates in September 2026 were in California and Connecticut (5.1%), Michigan and Oregon (5.0%), Arizona (4.9%) and Washington (4.8%). Kentucky, Nevada and New Mexico share eighth place at 4.7%1.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics. Period: 2026-09 (preliminary).
Show the numbers
| State | Unemployment, Sep 2026 |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 5.6% |
| California | 5.1% |
| Connecticut | 5.1% |
| Michigan | 5.0% |
| Oregon | 5.0% |
| Arizona | 4.9% |
| Washington | 4.8% |
| Kentucky | 4.7% |
| Nevada | 4.7% |
| New Mexico | 4.7% |
| United States | 4.2% |
At the other end, South Dakota (2.0%) and North Dakota (2.2%) are the only two below 2.6%, the rate shared by Vermont and New Hampshire. Hawaii (2.8%), Nebraska (2.9%), Wyoming (3.0%) and Montana (3.1%1) complete the eight lowest.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics. Period: 2026-09 (preliminary).
Show the numbers
| State | Unemployment, Sep 2026 |
|---|---|
| United States | 4.2% |
| Iowa | 3.2% |
| Wisconsin | 3.2% |
| Montana | 3.1% |
| Wyoming | 3.0% |
| Nebraska | 2.9% |
| Hawaii | 2.8% |
| New Hampshire | 2.6% |
| Vermont | 2.6% |
| North Dakota | 2.2% |
| South Dakota | 2.0% |
The full range runs from 2.0% in South Dakota to 5.6% in the District of Columbia. 18 states, counting DC, are above the national rate of 4.2% and 31 are below it; New Jersey and Oklahoma are level with it. The middle state sits at 3.9%, under the national figure, because several of the most populous states are above it: California (5.1%), Texas (4.4%), Florida (4.4%) and New York (4.3%1).
Where the high and low rates cluster
The lowest rates form a band across the northern Plains and northern New England. In the Midwest, South Dakota (2.0%) and Nebraska (2.9%) sit far below Michigan (5.0%), the highest in the region. In the Northeast, Vermont and New Hampshire are at 2.6%, while Connecticut is at 5.1%1.
The higher rates sit mostly in the West. California (5.1%), Oregon (5.0%), Arizona (4.9%) and Washington (4.8%) all rank in the top seven, yet Hawaii, also in the West, has one of the lowest rates in the country (2.8%). The South is the most compressed region: leaving out the District of Columbia, its states run from 3.3% in Mississippi and Georgia to 4.7%1 in Kentucky.
How the order changed from the 2025 average
The 2025 annual average covers the year rather than one month. It ranged from 2.1% in South Dakota to 6.3% in the District of Columbia, with California (5.5%) and Nevada (5.3%) the highest states and Hawaii (2.4%) and North Dakota (2.6%) the lowest after South Dakota. The national average for the year was 4.3%1. The BLS series has no October 2025 figure, so the 2025 average covers 11 months.
| 1 | District of Columbia | 6.3% | Higher | 7.2% | 72.2% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | California | 5.5% | Higher | 6.2% | 62.4% |
| 3 | Nevada | 5.3% | Higher | 5.7% | 63.1% |
| =4 | Michigan | 5.2% | Higher | 5.1% | 61.2% |
| =4 | New Jersey | 5.2% | Higher | 5.3% | 63.6% |
| =4 | Oregon | 5.2% | Higher | 5.4% | 62.9% |
| 7 | Delaware | 4.8% | Higher | 4.6% | 59.8% |
| =8 | Alaska | 4.7% | Higher | 5.2% | 65.7% |
| =8 | Washington | 4.7% | Higher | 5.5% | 62.8% |
| =10 | Illinois | 4.6% | Higher | 5.6% | 64.2% |
| =10 | Kentucky | 4.6% | Higher | 4.8% | 58.3% |
| =10 | Ohio | 4.6% | Higher | 4.2% | 62.5% |
| =13 | Massachusetts | 4.5% | Higher | 4.9% | 66.5% |
| =13 | Rhode Island | 4.5% | Higher | 4.3% | 64.1% |
| =13 | South Carolina | 4.5% | Higher | 4.6% | 58.4% |
| =16 | Arizona | 4.3% | Not significant | 5.1% | 62.1% |
| =16 | Louisiana | 4.3% | Not significant | 4.6% | 58.2% |
| =16 | New York | 4.3% | Not significant | 5.6% | 61.1% |
| =16 | Pennsylvania | 4.3% | Not significant | 4.6% | 61.6% |
| =20 | New Mexico | 4.2% | Lower | 4.7% | 57.7% |
| =20 | Texas | 4.2% | Lower | 5.2% | 64.8% |
| =20 | West Virginia | 4.2% | Lower | 5.1% | 54.5% |
| 23 | Arkansas | 4.1% | Lower | 4.3% | 58.7% |
| =24 | Colorado | 4.0% | Lower | 4.5% | 67.2% |
| =24 | Connecticut | 4.0% | Lower | 5.6% | 64.2% |
| =24 | Maryland | 4.0% | Lower | 4.8% | 64.5% |
| =24 | Missouri | 4.0% | Lower | 3.6% | 63.6% |
| =28 | Florida | 3.9% | Lower | 4.4% | 57.8% |
| =28 | Minnesota | 3.9% | Lower | 3.9% | 68.3% |
| =30 | Kansas | 3.8% | Lower | 3.5% | 67.8% |
| =30 | Mississippi | 3.8% | Lower | 5.2% | 55.8% |
| =30 | North Carolina | 3.8% | Lower | 4.4% | 59.5% |
| =33 | Idaho | 3.7% | Lower | 3.5% | 63.3% |
| =33 | Indiana | 3.7% | Lower | 4.4% | 63.8% |
| 35 | Utah | 3.6% | Lower | 4.0% | 68.0% |
| =36 | Iowa | 3.5% | Lower | 3.5% | 67.8% |
| =36 | Tennessee | 3.5% | Lower | 4.2% | 60.6% |
| =38 | Georgia | 3.4% | Lower | 4.9% | 60.9% |
| =38 | Maine | 3.4% | Lower | 3.3% | 59.9% |
| =38 | Oklahoma | 3.4% | Lower | 4.3% | 63.0% |
| =38 | Virginia | 3.4% | Lower | 4.1% | 64.3% |
| =38 | Wyoming | 3.4% | Lower | 4.4% | 61.6% |
| 43 | Montana | 3.3% | Lower | 2.8% | 62.4% |
| =44 | New Hampshire | 3.2% | Lower | 2.6% | 65.5% |
| =44 | Wisconsin | 3.2% | Lower | 3.2% | 64.5% |
| 46 | Nebraska | 3.0% | Lower | 3.2% | 70.1% |
| 47 | Alabama | 2.9% | Lower | 4.9% | 57.6% |
| 48 | Vermont | 2.7% | Lower | 2.8% | 64.1% |
| 49 | North Dakota | 2.6% | Lower | 2.0% | 69.7% |
| 50 | Hawaii | 2.4% | Lower | 3.2% | 60.6% |
| 51 | South Dakota | 2.1% | Lower | 2.5% | 68.2% |
| United States | 4.3% | 4.9% | 62.4% |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B23025. Period: 2025 (11-month avg, Oct 2025 missing). "=" marks a tie at the displayed precision.
Several states sit in quite different places in the two rankings:
| Connecticut | 4.0% | 5.1% |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 4.3% | 4.9% |
| Nevada | 5.3% | 4.7% |
| Minnesota | 3.9% | 4.5% |
| New Jersey | 5.2% | 4.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 4.3% | 3.6% |
| Alabama | 2.9% | 3.5% |
| Ohio | 4.6% | 3.4% |
| United States | 4.3% | 4.2% |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics.
- Connecticut was tied for 24th highest in 2025, at 4.0%, and tied for 2nd highest in September 2026, at 5.1%.
- Minnesota was 0.4 percentage points below the US figure (4.3%) in 2025 and 0.3 percentage points above the US figure (4.2%) in September.
- Ohio went the other way: tied for 10th highest in 2025 (4.6%), tied for 14th lowest in September (3.4%).
- New Jersey was tied for 4th highest in 2025 (5.2%); its September rate was the same as the US figure (4.2%)1.
Treat these as different positions, not measured changes. The September value is a single preliminary month adjusted for seasonal patterns; the 2025 value is an average of unadjusted months. In its own monthly release, the BLS cites a change in a state's rate only when it is statistically significant at the 90% confidence level, and that test is not applied to the comparison here.
A second survey, a different order
The Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) also measures unemployment, and its figures are not the same. For 2025 it put the national rate at 4.9% (up from 4.6% in 20243), against 4.3%1 from the BLS. The Census Bureau notes that definitional and procedural differences between the two surveys matter: the ACS asks a less detailed set of questions about labor force participation, and it refers to the week before each household answers rather than a fixed week of the month. The Census Bureau describes the BLS household survey, the Current Population Survey, as the official source of monthly employment and unemployment estimates for the United States.
Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B23025. Whiskers show the 90% margin of error; states whose whiskers overlap may not differ significantly. Period: 2025.
Show the numbers
| State | Unemployment rate (ACS) | MOE |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 7.2% | ±1.1 |
| California | 6.2% | ±0.1 |
| Nevada | 5.7% | ±0.5 |
| Connecticut | 5.6% | ±0.4 |
| Illinois | 5.6% | ±0.2 |
| New York | 5.6% | ±0.2 |
| Washington | 5.5% | ±0.2 |
| Oregon | 5.4% | ±0.4 |
| New Jersey | 5.3% | ±0.2 |
| Alaska | 5.2% | ±0.7 |
| Mississippi | 5.2% | ±0.5 |
| Texas | 5.2% | ±0.2 |
| United States | 4.9% |
The extremes agree. On the ACS, North Dakota (2.0%, ±0.4 percentage points), South Dakota (2.5%) and New Hampshire (2.6%) are the lowest, and the District of Columbia (7.2%) and California (6.2%3) the highest. In between, some states trade places:
- Texas: 5.2% (±0.2 percentage points) on the ACS, 0.3 percentage points above the US figure (4.9%); on the BLS 2025 average, 0.1 percentage points below the US figure (4.3%).
- Mississippi: 5.2% on the ACS, not statistically different from the US figure (4.9%); on the BLS average, 0.5 percentage points below the US figure (4.3%).
- Wyoming: 4.4% on the ACS (±0.8 percentage points), not statistically different from the US figure (4.9%)3; on the BLS average, 0.9 percentage points below the US figure (4.3%)1.
Because the ACS reports margins of error, it can also test change. Between 2024 and 2025 the rate was up from 5.9% in 2024 in California, up from 5.3% in 2024 in New York, up from 5.1% in 2024 in Illinois, up from 4.9% in 2024 in Washington and up from 4.8% in 2024 in Texas. It was down from 5.2% in 2024 in Louisiana, down from 5.3% in 2024 in New Mexico and down from 4.7% in 2024 in Oklahoma. In Florida it was not statistically different from 4.6% in 20243.
Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2005-2019 and 2021-2025. ACS 1-year estimates; no standard 1-year release for 2020. Shaded band: 90% margin of error.
Show the numbers
| Year | United States | California | North Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 10.3% ±0.0 | 12.3% ±0.1 | 3.1% ±0.4 |
| 2012 | 9.4% ±0.0 | 11.4% ±0.1 | 3.3% ±0.5 |
| 2013 | 8.4% ±0.0 | 10.0% ±0.1 | 2.6% ±0.3 |
| 2014 | 7.2% ±0.0 | 8.5% ±0.1 | 3.0% ±0.4 |
| 2015 | 6.3% ±0.0 | 7.3% ±0.1 | 2.6% ±0.4 |
| 2016 | 5.8% ±0.0 | 6.5% ±0.1 | 2.8% ±0.5 |
| 2017 | 5.3% ±0.0 | 5.9% ±0.1 | 2.9% ±0.4 |
| 2018 | 4.9% ±0.0 | 5.5% ±0.1 | 2.8% ±0.4 |
| 2019 | 4.5% ±0.0 | 5.1% ±0.1 | 2.6% ±0.4 |
| 2021 | 6.3% ±0.0 | 8.3% ±0.1 | 2.9% ±0.6 |
| 2022 | 4.3% ±0.0 | 5.3% ±0.1 | 2.2% ±0.4 |
| 2023 | 4.3% ±0.0 | 5.5% ±0.1 | 2.9% ±0.6 |
| 2024 | 4.6% ±0.0 | 5.9% ±0.1 | 1.9% ±0.4 |
| 2025 | 4.9% ±0.0 | 6.2% ±0.1 | 2.0% ±0.4 |
Over a longer span, the national ACS rate went from 10.3% in 2011 to 4.5% in 2019, was 6.3% in 2021 and 4.3% in 2022, and has since been 4.6% in 2024 and 4.9%4 in 2025.
Low unemployment is not the same as high employment
The BLS counts people as unemployed only if they have actively looked for work in the prior 4 weeks and are currently available for work. People who are not working and not looking are outside the labor force and do not enter the rate at all. Labor force participation shows the other side.
In the states with the lowest unemployment, participation is high. North Dakota (69.7%), Nebraska (70.1%) and South Dakota (68.2%) were all among the five highest in 2025; the District of Columbia was highest (72.2%). Some states with low unemployment rates have low participation instead. Alabama's 2025 unemployment rate, 2.9%, was 5th lowest, but its participation rate (57.6%) was 3rd lowest. West Virginia (54.5%) and Mississippi (55.8%) had the lowest participation of any state, with unemployment rates of 4.2% and 3.8%1, both below the national average.
West Virginia 54.5%District of Columbia 72.2%
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics. Each dot is a state. Period: 2025 (11-month avg, Oct 2025 missing).
Show the numbers
| State | Labor force participation |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 72.2% |
| Nebraska | 70.1% |
| North Dakota | 69.7% |
| Minnesota | 68.3% |
| South Dakota | 68.2% |
| Utah | 68.0% |
| Iowa | 67.8% |
| Kansas | 67.8% |
| Colorado | 67.2% |
| Massachusetts | 66.5% |
| Alaska | 65.7% |
| New Hampshire | 65.5% |
| Texas | 64.8% |
| Maryland | 64.5% |
| Wisconsin | 64.5% |
| Virginia | 64.3% |
| Connecticut | 64.2% |
| Illinois | 64.2% |
| Rhode Island | 64.1% |
| Vermont | 64.1% |
| Indiana | 63.8% |
| Missouri | 63.6% |
| New Jersey | 63.6% |
| Idaho | 63.3% |
| Nevada | 63.1% |
| Oklahoma | 63.0% |
| Oregon | 62.9% |
| Washington | 62.8% |
| Ohio | 62.5% |
| California | 62.4% |
| Montana | 62.4% |
| Arizona | 62.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 61.6% |
| Wyoming | 61.6% |
| Michigan | 61.2% |
| New York | 61.1% |
| Georgia | 60.9% |
| Hawaii | 60.6% |
| Tennessee | 60.6% |
| Maine | 59.9% |
| Delaware | 59.8% |
| North Carolina | 59.5% |
| Arkansas | 58.7% |
| South Carolina | 58.4% |
| Kentucky | 58.3% |
| Louisiana | 58.2% |
| Florida | 57.8% |
| New Mexico | 57.7% |
| Alabama | 57.6% |
| Mississippi | 55.8% |
| West Virginia | 54.5% |
Read the two rates together. A low unemployment rate says that a small share of the labor force is without a job and looking for one; it does not say what share of adults have jobs.
Reading the monthly figures
- The latest month is preliminary. September 2026 values are marked preliminary by the BLS, and figures for prior years reflect adjustments made after the end of each year, so the numbers here can change.
- State rates are model estimates. For most states the BLS combines its household survey with payroll counts and unemployment insurance claims in time-series models; small differences between states may not be statistically significant.
- Seasonally adjusted and unadjusted. Monthly rates on this page are seasonally adjusted, so months can be compared. The 2025 annual average is an average of unadjusted monthly figures.
- The District of Columbia is a city. It is ranked with the states, as in BLS tables, but its rate compares a single urban area with whole states that include rural areas.
- States only. This site covers the 50 states and DC; metro area and county unemployment rates are not included.
New monthly releases are listed on the updates page, and the state profiles show each state's rate alongside its other measures.
Questions about unemployment by state
Which state has the highest unemployment rate?
Among the 50 states, California and Connecticut were tied at 5.1% in September 2026, seasonally adjusted. The District of Columbia, which is ranked with the states but is a single city, was higher at 5.6%. Over the whole of 2025, California had the highest average of any state (5.5%1).
Which state has the lowest unemployment rate?
South Dakota, at 2.0% in September 2026. It was also the lowest in the 2025 annual average (2.1%). North Dakota (2.2%1) was second lowest in September.
What is the US unemployment rate?
4.2% in September 2026, seasonally adjusted, and 4.3%1 on average in 2025. Both figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Census Bureau's American Community Survey put the 2025 rate at 4.9%3, using different questions.
How often is this ranking updated?
Every month, when the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes new state rates; the next scheduled releases are listed on our updates page. Each new month replaces the September 2026 column, and the latest month is always preliminary.
Related rankings
Sources
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; 2025 annual averages; September 2026 monthly (preliminary). api.bls.gov
- Census Bureau, 2024 Cartographic Boundary Files; table cb_2024_us_state_20m; 2024; released April 10, 2025. www2.census.gov
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B23025; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2005-2019 and 2021-2025; 2005-2025 (no standard 2020 1-year release); released October 29, 2026. api.census.gov
Margins of error (±) are at the 90% confidence level. A difference is called significant only when it passes the Census Bureau's test at that level. How every figure is built: methodology. Found an error? Write to [email protected]; corrections are listed on the updates page.