Work across the states
In September 2026, the District of Columbia had the highest unemployment rate (5.6%) and South Dakota the lowest (2.0%), against 4.2%1 nationally. The unemployment rate is only part of the picture: the share of adults in the labor force differs far more from state to state, and some states with low unemployment also have some of the smallest shares of residents 16 and older in work.
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).
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% |
| Delaware | 4.6% |
| Illinois | 4.6% |
| Minnesota | 4.5% |
| Florida | 4.4% |
| Texas | 4.4% |
| Alaska | 4.3% |
| Massachusetts | 4.3% |
| New York | 4.3% |
| New Jersey | 4.2% |
| Oklahoma | 4.2% |
| Colorado | 4.1% |
| Louisiana | 4.0% |
| South Carolina | 4.0% |
| West Virginia | 4.0% |
| Arkansas | 3.9% |
| Maryland | 3.9% |
| Kansas | 3.8% |
| Idaho | 3.6% |
| Missouri | 3.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 3.6% |
| Rhode Island | 3.6% |
| Virginia | 3.6% |
| Alabama | 3.5% |
| Utah | 3.5% |
| Indiana | 3.4% |
| North Carolina | 3.4% |
| Ohio | 3.4% |
| Tennessee | 3.4% |
| Georgia | 3.3% |
| Maine | 3.3% |
| Mississippi | 3.3% |
| 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% |
Unemployment rate by state, September 2026
The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes an unemployment rate for every state each month: the share of people in the labor force (working or actively looking for work) who have no job. The latest figures, for September 2026, are seasonally adjusted and preliminary. The national rate was 4.2%1.
District of Columbia had the highest rate (5.6%), followed by California and Connecticut (both 5.1%), then Michigan and Oregon (both 5.0%). The lowest rates were in South Dakota (2.0%), North Dakota (2.2%), and Vermont and New Hampshire (both 2.6%). 18 states, counting DC, were above the national rate and 31 below it; the median state was at 3.9%1.
Each region has its own high and low. In the Northeast the range ran from Vermont (2.6%) to Connecticut (5.1%); in the Midwest from South Dakota (2.0%) to Michigan (5.0%); in the South from Mississippi (3.3%) to the District of Columbia (5.6%); and in the West from Hawaii (2.8%) to California (5.1%1).
The full year 2025
A single month moves around; the annual average is steadier. For 2025 the average covers eleven months, because the October 2025 figures are missing from the series. The US rate was 4.3%. The District of Columbia was highest (6.3%), then California (5.5%) and Nevada (5.3%). South Dakota (2.1%), Hawaii (2.4%) and North Dakota (2.6%1) were lowest.
The two lists mostly agree at the ends, but a few states sit in different places. Connecticut was tied for 2nd highest in September 2026 (5.1%), while its 2025 average (4.0%) was tied for 24th highest. Alabama had the 5th lowest rate in 2025 (2.9%) and was tied for 18th lowest in September 2026 (3.5%1). Monthly state figures are revised: each year BLS re-estimates up to five years of past state data. The full ranking with every month's update is on unemployment rate by state.
| District of Columbia | 5.6% | 6.3% | 72.2% | 65.1% ±1.2 | 30.1 ±1.4 | 22.7% ±1.8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 5.1% | 5.5% | 62.4% | 59.0% ±0.1 | 29.8 ±0.2 | 13.4% ±0.2 |
| Connecticut | 5.1% | 4.0% | 64.2% | 61.8% ±0.5 | 28.2 ±0.7 | 12.4% ±0.5 |
| Michigan | 5.0% | 5.2% | 61.2% | 58.2% ±0.3 | 25.0 ±0.3 | 11.1% ±0.3 |
| Oregon | 5.0% | 5.2% | 62.9% | 58.5% ±0.5 | 23.6 ±0.4 | 15.1% ±0.5 |
| Arizona | 4.9% | 4.3% | 62.1% | 57.0% ±0.4 | 26.4 ±0.4 | 16.2% ±0.5 |
| Washington | 4.8% | 4.7% | 62.8% | 60.1% ±0.3 | 27.3 ±0.4 | 15.7% ±0.3 |
| Kentucky | 4.7% | 4.6% | 58.3% | 56.5% ±0.4 | 24.5 ±0.4 | 9.7% ±0.4 |
| Nevada | 4.7% | 5.3% | 63.1% | 60.5% ±0.6 | 25.2 ±0.7 | 10.1% ±0.6 |
| New Mexico | 4.7% | 4.2% | 57.7% | 54.9% ±0.6 | 24.1 ±0.8 | 10.1% ±0.7 |
| Delaware | 4.6% | 4.8% | 59.8% | 58.2% ±0.9 | 27.1 ±1.2 | 14.0% ±1.1 |
| Illinois | 4.6% | 4.6% | 64.2% | 61.0% ±0.3 | 28.4 ±0.3 | 12.9% ±0.3 |
| Minnesota | 4.5% | 3.9% | 68.3% | 64.7% ±0.3 | 23.5 ±0.3 | 14.8% ±0.3 |
| Florida | 4.4% | 3.9% | 57.8% | 57.5% ±0.2 | 29.3 ±0.2 | 15.5% ±0.2 |
| Texas | 4.4% | 4.2% | 64.8% | 61.7% ±0.2 | 27.8 ±0.2 | 12.9% ±0.2 |
| Alaska | 4.3% | 4.7% | 65.7% | 59.4% ±1.1 | 20.0 ±1.0 | 7.1% ±0.7 |
| Massachusetts | 4.3% | 4.5% | 66.5% | 62.8% ±0.4 | 30.8 ±0.5 | 14.2% ±0.4 |
| New York | 4.3% | 4.3% | 61.1% | 59.4% ±0.3 | 33.5 ±0.3 | 11.5% ±0.2 |
| New Jersey | 4.2% | 5.2% | 63.6% | 63.3% ±0.3 | 32.2 ±0.4 | 13.0% ±0.3 |
| Oklahoma | 4.2% | 3.4% | 63.0% | 57.7% ±0.4 | 23.1 ±0.4 | 8.7% ±0.3 |
| Colorado | 4.1% | 4.0% | 67.2% | 64.2% ±0.3 | 25.8 ±0.4 | 18.8% ±0.4 |
| Louisiana | 4.0% | 4.3% | 58.2% | 56.4% ±0.5 | 25.9 ±0.5 | 7.4% ±0.4 |
| South Carolina | 4.0% | 4.5% | 58.4% | 57.2% ±0.5 | 27.0 ±0.5 | 11.6% ±0.4 |
| West Virginia | 4.0% | 4.2% | 54.5% | 50.9% ±0.7 | 27.4 ±0.9 | 8.2% ±0.6 |
| Arkansas | 3.9% | 4.1% | 58.7% | 57.1% ±0.5 | 23.3 ±0.5 | 8.8% ±0.6 |
| Maryland | 3.9% | 4.0% | 64.5% | 63.0% ±0.4 | 33.7 ±0.5 | 13.7% ±0.4 |
| Kansas | 3.8% | 3.8% | 67.8% | 62.7% ±0.5 | 20.5 ±0.4 | 10.2% ±0.5 |
| Idaho | 3.6% | 3.7% | 63.3% | 60.3% ±0.7 | 22.7 ±0.7 | 12.8% ±0.6 |
| Missouri | 3.6% | 4.0% | 63.6% | 60.4% ±0.3 | 24.2 ±0.4 | 11.5% ±0.3 |
| Pennsylvania | 3.6% | 4.3% | 61.6% | 59.7% ±0.3 | 27.1 ±0.3 | 13.6% ±0.3 |
| Rhode Island | 3.6% | 4.5% | 64.1% | 60.9% ±1.0 | 26.5 ±1.0 | 11.5% ±0.9 |
| Virginia | 3.6% | 3.4% | 64.3% | 61.0% ±0.3 | 28.2 ±0.4 | 13.9% ±0.3 |
| Alabama | 3.5% | 2.9% | 57.6% | 56.1% ±0.4 | 26.0 ±0.5 | 8.6% ±0.4 |
| Utah | 3.5% | 3.6% | 68.0% | 66.3% ±0.5 | 23.7 ±0.5 | 14.9% ±0.5 |
| Indiana | 3.4% | 3.7% | 63.8% | 61.1% ±0.3 | 24.6 ±0.3 | 9.8% ±0.4 |
| North Carolina | 3.4% | 3.8% | 59.5% | 59.1% ±0.3 | 25.7 ±0.3 | 15.1% ±0.3 |
| Ohio | 3.4% | 4.6% | 62.5% | 60.3% ±0.3 | 24.1 ±0.3 | 11.3% ±0.3 |
| Tennessee | 3.4% | 3.5% | 60.6% | 59.9% ±0.4 | 26.4 ±0.4 | 12.5% ±0.3 |
| Georgia | 3.3% | 3.4% | 60.9% | 60.2% ±0.3 | 29.7 ±0.4 | 14.5% ±0.4 |
| Maine | 3.3% | 3.4% | 59.9% | 59.0% ±0.7 | 24.9 ±0.7 | 13.7% ±0.8 |
| Mississippi | 3.3% | 3.8% | 55.8% | 54.6% ±0.6 | 26.6 ±0.7 | 6.5% ±0.5 |
| Iowa | 3.2% | 3.5% | 67.8% | 63.5% ±0.4 | 20.2 ±0.3 | 9.6% ±0.4 |
| Wisconsin | 3.2% | 3.2% | 64.5% | 62.4% ±0.3 | 23.2 ±0.3 | 11.6% ±0.3 |
| Montana | 3.1% | 3.3% | 62.4% | 59.9% ±0.7 | 20.0 ±0.7 | 12.1% ±0.9 |
| Wyoming | 3.0% | 3.4% | 61.6% | 59.1% ±1.2 | 19.6 ±1.3 | 11.6% ±1.2 |
| Nebraska | 2.9% | 3.0% | 70.1% | 65.8% ±0.5 | 19.6 ±0.5 | 8.9% ±0.5 |
| Hawaii | 2.8% | 2.4% | 60.6% | 57.4% ±0.7 | 27.1 ±0.8 | 8.6% ±0.6 |
| New Hampshire | 2.6% | 3.2% | 65.5% | 63.8% ±0.7 | 26.7 ±0.8 | 14.4% ±0.8 |
| Vermont | 2.6% | 2.7% | 64.1% | 62.3% ±1.0 | 24.2 ±1.1 | 15.9% ±1.3 |
| North Dakota | 2.2% | 2.6% | 69.7% | 65.7% ±0.9 | 18.1 ±0.9 | 6.3% ±0.7 |
| South Dakota | 2.0% | 2.1% | 68.2% | 64.6% ±0.8 | 17.8 ±0.7 | 9.8% ±0.8 |
| United States | 4.2% | 4.3% | 62.4% | 60.0% ±0.1 | 27.4 ±0.1 | 12.9% ±0.1 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B23025; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B08013; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B08301. ± is the 90% margin of error.
How many people are in the labor force
The labor force counts people 16 and older who either have a job or are looking for one. In 2025 it numbered 170.8 million nationally. California's was the largest at 19.8 million, followed by Texas (15.9 million), Florida (11.1 million) and New York (10.0 million); Vermont's was 349,000 and Wyoming's 289,0001.
The labor force participation rate divides that count by everyone 16 and older outside institutions such as prisons and nursing homes, including students and retirees. Nationally it was 62.4% in 2025. Across the states it ranges far more widely than unemployment does: from 54.5% in West Virginia to 72.2% in the District of Columbia1.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics. 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% |
| United States | 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% |
Nebraska had the highest participation of any state (70.1%), with North Dakota (69.7%), Minnesota (68.3%) and South Dakota (68.2%) next; the District of Columbia was higher than every state (72.2%). At the bottom were West Virginia (54.5%), Mississippi (55.8%), Alabama (57.6%), New Mexico (57.7%) and Florida (57.8%). Ten of the eleven lowest are in the South; the exception is New Mexico1, the lowest in the West.
Low unemployment, few people working
Unemployment and participation tell different stories in several states. A low unemployment rate means few people in the labor force are looking for work; it says nothing about how many adults are in the labor force at all.
Alabama shows the gap most clearly. Its 2025 unemployment rate, 2.9%, was the 5th lowest in the country, yet its participation rate, 57.6%, was the 3rd lowest. Mississippi's unemployment rate (3.8%) was 0.5 percentage points below the US figure (4.3%), while its participation rate was the 2nd lowest (55.8%1). In the Census Bureau's survey, the share of all residents 16 and older with a job, the employment-population ratio, was 56.1% in Alabama (3.9 percentage points below the US figure (60.0%)) and 54.6% in Mississippi (5.4 percentage points below the US figure (60.0%)3).
The northern Plains are low on unemployment and high on participation at once. South Dakota, North Dakota and Nebraska are all among the six lowest unemployment rates of 2025 and among the five highest participation rates. The District of Columbia is the reverse case: the highest unemployment rate and the highest participation rate in the nation.
Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B23025. Whiskers show the 90% margin of error. Period: 2025.
Show the numbers
| State | Employment-population ratio (ACS) | MOE |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | 66.3% | ±0.5 |
| Nebraska | 65.8% | ±0.5 |
| North Dakota | 65.7% | ±0.9 |
| District of Columbia | 65.1% | ±1.2 |
| South Dakota | 64.6% | ±0.8 |
| United States | 60.0% | ±0.1 |
| Alabama | 56.1% | ±0.4 |
| New Mexico | 54.9% | ±0.6 |
| Mississippi | 54.6% | ±0.6 |
| West Virginia | 50.9% | ±0.7 |
In West Virginia, 50.9% of residents 16 and older were employed (±0.7 percentage points), 9.1 percentage points below the US figure (60.0%). In Utah the share was 66.3%, 6.3 percentage points above the US figure (60.0%)3.
Age and disability alongside participation
Because retirees count in the denominator, older states could be expected to have lower participation. The data show that only in part. Florida's share of residents 65 and older is tied for 4th highest and its participation is 5th lowest; West Virginia's is 7th highest. But Maine, with the highest share of older residents, is 12th lowest on participation, and New Hampshire, with the 3rd highest share, is 12th highest1. Alabama and Mississippi have middle-ranked shares of residents 65 and older (tied for 23rd highest and tied for 25th highest6).
Disability lines up more closely with the bottom of the participation list. The four states with the highest shares of residents reporting a disability in the 2025 survey, West Virginia (19.0%), Mississippi (18.8%), Arkansas (18.2%) and Kentucky (18.1%7), are all among the nine lowest on participation. The figures show that the two measures go together across states; they do not show why.
| District of Columbia | 6.3% | 72.2% | 65.1% ±1.2 | 13.6% | 11.6% ±1.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | 3.0% | 70.1% | 65.8% ±0.5 | 18.3% | 11.8% ±0.4 |
| North Dakota | 2.6% | 69.7% | 65.7% ±0.9 | 17.9% | 12.0% ±0.7 |
| South Dakota | 2.1% | 68.2% | 64.6% ±0.8 | 19.4% | 13.4% ±0.6 |
| New Hampshire | 3.2% | 65.5% | 63.8% ±0.7 | 23.0% | 13.5% ±0.5 |
| Maine | 3.4% | 59.9% | 59.0% ±0.7 | 24.6% | 15.7% ±0.5 |
| Arkansas | 4.1% | 58.7% | 57.1% ±0.5 | 19.0% | 18.2% ±0.4 |
| Kentucky | 4.6% | 58.3% | 56.5% ±0.4 | 18.8% | 18.1% ±0.3 |
| Florida | 3.9% | 57.8% | 57.5% ±0.2 | 22.8% | 13.8% ±0.2 |
| Alabama | 2.9% | 57.6% | 56.1% ±0.4 | 19.4% | 16.7% ±0.3 |
| Mississippi | 3.8% | 55.8% | 54.6% ±0.6 | 19.3% | 18.8% ±0.4 |
| West Virginia | 4.2% | 54.5% | 50.9% ±0.7 | 22.5% | 19.0% ±0.5 |
| United States | 4.3% | 62.4% | 60.0% ±0.1 | 18.9% | 13.7% |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B23025; Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B18101. ± is the 90% margin of error.
Two unemployment rates: BLS and the Census survey
This page ranks states on the BLS rates, which are the official state unemployment figures. The American Community Survey, run by the Census Bureau, also measures unemployment, and its rates are higher: 4.9% for the US in 2025, against 4.3% from BLS. In Texas the survey figure was 5.2% (±0.2 percentage points) and the BLS average 4.2%; in the District of Columbia, 7.2%3 against 6.3%1.
- BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics. Monthly, for every state. The state figures come from statistical models that combine the Current Population Survey with payroll employment and unemployment insurance claims, and are made to add up to the national survey totals. No margin of error is published, so differences between states are not tested for significance.
- American Community Survey. Annual, with 90% margins of error, and with detail by age, sex, education and more. It asks fewer questions about job search than the Current Population Survey and refers to a different week. The Census Bureau's guidance for labor force data users notes that questions of the ACS kind have produced higher unemployment estimates than the Current Population Survey, and treats the two as complementary rather than competing.
Use the BLS figure for "the" unemployment rate of a state and for month-to-month change. Use the survey for comparisons between groups of people within a state, and for the employment-population ratio and labor force participation alongside other characteristics of the same residents. The survey puts participation at 63.5% nationally, down from 64.0% in 20243, against 62.4%1 from BLS; the survey's definition includes members of the Armed Forces.
Getting to work: commute times
The average one-way trip to work in the US took 27.4 minutes in 2025 (±0.1 minutes), up from 27.2 minutes in 20244. The average covers workers who travel to a workplace; people who work at home are left out.
Maryland (33.7 minutes, ±0.5 minutes) and New York (33.5 minutes, ±0.3 minutes) have the longest commutes; their ranks are between 1st and 2nd and cannot be separated. New Jersey (32.2 minutes) and Massachusetts (30.8 minutes) follow. The shortest are in South Dakota (17.8 minutes, ±0.7 minutes) and North Dakota (18.1 minutes, ±0.9 minutes), with Nebraska and Wyoming (both 19.6 minutes) close behind. 12 states, counting DC, have commutes significantly longer than the US average and 31 significantly shorter. Maryland's average was up from 32.3 minutes in 20244.
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 | Maryland | United States | South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 30.8 ±0.4 | 25.1 | 16.6 ±0.5 |
| 2006 | 30.6 ±0.3 | 25.0 | 15.9 ±0.5 |
| 2007 | 31.1 ±0.4 | 25.3 | 16.3 ±0.5 |
| 2008 | 31.5 ±0.4 | 25.5 ±0.1 | 16.4 ±0.5 |
| 2009 | 31.3 ±0.4 | 25.1 ±0.1 | 16.7 ±0.5 |
| 2010 | 31.8 ±0.4 | 25.3 ±0.1 | 16.8 ±0.6 |
| 2011 | 32.2 ±0.4 | 25.5 ±0.1 | 16.9 ±0.6 |
| 2012 | 31.9 ±0.3 | 25.7 ±0.1 | 16.7 ±0.5 |
| 2013 | 32.5 ±0.4 | 25.8 ±0.1 | 17.0 ±0.5 |
| 2014 | 32.3 ±0.3 | 26.0 ±0.1 | 16.7 ±0.5 |
| 2015 | 32.6 ±0.3 | 26.4 ±0.1 | 16.9 ±0.6 |
| 2016 | 32.8 ±0.3 | 26.6 ±0.1 | 16.6 ±0.4 |
| 2017 | 33.3 ±0.3 | 26.9 ±0.1 | 17.3 ±0.5 |
| 2018 | 33.3 ±0.3 | 27.1 ±0.1 | 17.3 ±0.6 |
| 2019 | 33.7 ±0.4 | 27.6 ±0.1 | 17.9 ±0.6 |
| 2021 | 29.3 ±0.5 | 25.6 ±0.1 | 17.4 ±0.6 |
| 2022 | 30.8 ±0.5 | 26.4 ±0.1 | 18.2 ±0.6 |
| 2023 | 31.4 ±0.5 | 26.8 ±0.1 | 18.4 ±0.7 |
| 2024 | 32.3 ±0.5 | 27.2 ±0.1 | 18.5 ±0.8 |
| 2025 | 33.7 ±0.6 | 27.4 ±0.1 | 17.8 ±0.7 |
How people travel differs even more than how long it takes. In 2025, 69.8% of US workers drove to work alone and 3.8% took public transportation. Transit use is concentrated in two places: the District of Columbia (26.9%) and New York (25.3%). The next states, New Jersey (9.9%) and Massachusetts (8.4%), are far behind, and in the median state the share is 0.9%5.
Working from home
Nationally, 12.9% of workers worked from home in 2025 (±0.1 percentage points), down from 13.3% in 20245. The share was 5.7% in 2019 and 17.9%8 in 2021.
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 | Colorado | United States | Mississippi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 9.1% ±0.3 | 5.7% ±0.0 | 3.1% ±0.4 |
| 2021 | 23.7% ±0.4 | 17.9% ±0.1 | 6.3% ±0.4 |
| 2022 | 21.2% ±0.4 | 15.2% ±0.1 | 5.5% ±0.4 |
| 2023 | 19.9% ±0.4 | 13.8% ±0.1 | 6.4% ±0.5 |
| 2024 | 19.9% ±0.5 | 13.3% ±0.1 | 6.2% ±0.4 |
| 2025 | 18.8% ±0.4 | 12.9% ±0.1 | 6.5% ±0.5 |
The District of Columbia has the highest share (22.7%). Among the states, Colorado leads (18.8%, ±0.4 percentage points), down from 19.9% in 2024, followed by Arizona (16.2%), Vermont (15.9%) and Washington (15.7%). The lowest shares are in North Dakota (6.3%), Mississippi (6.5%) and Alaska (7.1%5); their ranks overlap within the margins of error.
The decline from 2024 was not uniform. Oregon's share was down from 17.1% in 2024, Virginia's down from 15.8% in 2024 and Maryland's down from 15.6% in 2024. A few states moved the other way: Wyoming's share was up from 9.7% in 2024 and South Dakota's up from 8.0% in 20245. In most states the 2025 share was not statistically different from 2024.
Reading the figures on this page
- Periods. Monthly BLS rates refer to one month and are seasonally adjusted; the 2025 BLS averages are not seasonally adjusted and cover eleven months. Survey figures (employment-population ratio, commutes, working from home) are averages over calendar year 2025.
- Who is counted. BLS and the survey count people by where they live, not where they work. A resident of Maryland who works in the District of Columbia is in Maryland's figures.
- Significance. Survey differences described as higher, lower, up or down on this page are statistically significant at 90% confidence. BLS state rates have no published margin of error; read differences of a few tenths of a point with care.
- Scope. This site covers states only, not cities or metro areas. Veterans, who are often asked about alongside work, have their own page: veterans by state.
Questions about jobs and unemployment by state
Which state has the highest unemployment rate?
The District of Columbia, at 5.6% in September 2026 (seasonally adjusted, preliminary). Among the 50 states, California and Connecticut were highest, both at 5.1%. Over 2025 as a whole, California had the highest rate of any state (5.5%1).
Which state has the lowest unemployment rate?
South Dakota: 2.0% in September 2026 and 2.1% on average in 2025, the lowest in the nation in both. North Dakota (2.2%) and Vermont (2.6%1) were next in September 2026.
Which state has the most people working from home?
Among the 50 states, Colorado: 18.8% of its workers worked from home in 2025 (±0.4 percentage points). The District of Columbia was higher still (22.7%). Nationally the share was 12.9%, down from 13.3% in 20245.
Which state has the longest commute?
Maryland (33.7 minutes, ±0.5 minutes) and New York (33.5 minutes, ±0.3 minutes) had the longest average one-way trips to work in 2025; the two are within each other's margins of error. The US average was 27.4 minutes4.
Rankings on this topic
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, 2025, table B08013; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B08301; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
- Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025; Vintage 2025 (July 1 2020-2025); released June 25, 2026. www2.census.gov
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B18101; 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.