51 states and DC · Sep 2026
Unemployment rate by state
In Sep 2026, unemployment rates ranged from 2.0% in South Dakota to 5.6% in the District of Columbia, against a national rate of 4.2%. 18 of the 51 states and DC were above the U.S. rate.
Monthly, seasonally adjusted. Unemployment rates come from the BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics program and payroll jobs from the BLS Current Employment Statistics survey, retrieved from FRED®. U.S. 12-month job growth: +0.3%.
| State | Unemployment rate | 1-year change | vs. U.S. | Nonfarm jobs | Job growth, 12 mo. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 3.5% | +0.7 pt | -0.7 pt | 2.22M | +1.0% |
| Alaska | 4.3% | -0.4 pt | +0.1 pt | 340.7K | +1.3% |
| Arizona | 4.9% | +0.5 pt | +0.7 pt | 3.28M | +0.6% |
| Arkansas | 3.9% | -0.3 pt | -0.3 pt | 1.35M | +0.9% |
| California | 5.1% | -0.4 pt | +0.9 pt | 18.15M | +0.7% |
| Colorado | 4.1% | +0.3 pt | -0.1 pt | 2.97M | +0.4% |
| Connecticut | 5.1% | +0.9 pt | +0.9 pt | 1.73M | +0.9% |
| Delaware | 4.6% | -0.6 pt | +0.4 pt | 495.8K | +0.3% |
| District of Columbia | 5.6% | -1.0 pt | +1.4 pt | 719.9K | -3.5% |
| Florida | 4.4% | +0.2 pt | +0.2 pt | 10.05M | +0.6% |
| Georgia | 3.3% | -0.1 pt | -0.9 pt | 4.98M | 0.0% |
| Hawaii | 2.8% | +0.7 pt | -1.4 pt | 642.4K | +0.1% |
| Idaho | 3.6% | 0.0 pt | -0.6 pt | 890.1K | +1.0% |
| Illinois | 4.6% | +0.1 pt | +0.4 pt | 6.16M | +0.2% |
| Indiana | 3.4% | -0.3 pt | -0.8 pt | 3.26M | -0.4% |
| Iowa | 3.2% | -0.2 pt | -1.0 pt | 1.59M | +0.3% |
| Kansas | 3.8% | 0.0 pt | -0.4 pt | 1.47M | +0.3% |
| Kentucky | 4.7% | +0.2 pt | +0.5 pt | 2.03M | -0.0% |
| Louisiana | 4.0% | -0.2 pt | -0.2 pt | 2.02M | +1.8% |
| Maine | 3.3% | 0.0 pt | -0.9 pt | 661.7K | +0.1% |
| Maryland | 3.9% | -0.4 pt | -0.3 pt | 2.79M | -0.5% |
| Massachusetts | 4.3% | -0.3 pt | +0.1 pt | 3.71M | +0.4% |
| Michigan | 5.0% | +0.1 pt | +0.8 pt | 4.49M | +0.0% |
| Minnesota | 4.5% | +0.4 pt | +0.3 pt | 3.07M | +1.2% |
| Mississippi | 3.3% | -0.4 pt | -0.9 pt | 1.20M | +0.6% |
| Missouri | 3.6% | -0.3 pt | -0.6 pt | 3.01M | +1.0% |
| Montana | 3.1% | -0.4 pt | -1.1 pt | 520.3K | -1.0% |
| Nebraska | 2.9% | 0.0 pt | -1.3 pt | 1.06M | +0.4% |
| Nevada | 4.7% | -0.5 pt | +0.5 pt | 1.62M | +1.6% |
| New Hampshire | 2.6% | -0.6 pt | -1.6 pt | 703.1K | +0.3% |
| New Jersey | 4.2% | -1.3 pt | 0.0 pt | 4.38M | +0.1% |
| New Mexico | 4.7% | +0.5 pt | +0.5 pt | 904.3K | +1.3% |
| New York | 4.3% | -0.3 pt | +0.1 pt | 9.97M | +0.2% |
| North Carolina | 3.4% | -0.5 pt | -0.8 pt | 5.13M | +1.3% |
| North Dakota | 2.2% | -0.4 pt | -2.0 pt | 447.3K | +0.2% |
| Ohio | 3.4% | -0.9 pt | -0.8 pt | 5.69M | +0.3% |
| Oklahoma | 4.2% | +0.6 pt | 0.0 pt | 1.80M | +0.8% |
| Oregon | 5.0% | -0.3 pt | +0.8 pt | 1.97M | -0.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 3.6% | -0.8 pt | -0.6 pt | 6.21M | +0.7% |
| Rhode Island | 3.6% | -0.7 pt | -0.6 pt | 513.1K | -0.1% |
| South Carolina | 4.0% | -0.7 pt | -0.2 pt | 2.44M | +2.3% |
| South Dakota | 2.0% | -0.1 pt | -2.2 pt | 470.5K | +0.4% |
| Tennessee | 3.4% | -0.1 pt | -0.8 pt | 3.39M | +0.9% |
| Texas | 4.4% | +0.1 pt | +0.2 pt | 14.46M | +1.1% |
| Utah | 3.5% | -0.1 pt | -0.7 pt | 1.80M | +1.5% |
| Vermont | 2.6% | 0.0 pt | -1.6 pt | 311.0K | -0.1% |
| Virginia | 3.6% | +0.2 pt | -0.6 pt | 4.25M | -0.6% |
| Washington | 4.8% | +0.1 pt | +0.6 pt | 3.65M | +0.7% |
| West Virginia | 4.0% | -0.5 pt | -0.2 pt | 717.4K | 0.0% |
| Wisconsin | 3.2% | +0.1 pt | -1.0 pt | 3.04M | +0.4% |
| Wyoming | 3.0% | -0.4 pt | -1.2 pt | 295.5K | +0.9% |
"1-year change" and "vs. U.S." are in percentage points. Job growth compares total nonfarm payrolls with the same month a year earlier. State figures are revised each year when BLS benchmarks them.
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By region
Northeast: average 3.7%
Midwest: average 3.5%
South: average 4.0%
West: average 4.1%
Regions follow the Census Bureau's four regions; the average is a simple average of state rates, not weighted by population.
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Public labor market data for general information only. Not financial or career advice.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Unemployment Rate in [State] [<ST>UR] and All Employees: Total Nonfarm in [State] [<ST>NA], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/.
- BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics · BLS State and Metro Area Employment · U.S. unemployment rate
FRED® is a registered trademark of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Neither the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis nor the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics endorses OpenEcon.