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Local Area Unemployment Statistics · Unemployment rate, seasonally adjusted

What is the unemployment rate in each state?

The month ended : of the 51 lines, the change over a year was largest for Connecticut, up 0.9 percentage points, and smallest for New Jersey, down 1.3 percentage points.

Unemployment rate by state, new england, each month

September 2016 to September 2026Seasonally adjusted, as publishedNo picture is made of these rows; their numbers are in the table

Unemployment rate by state, new england, each month, one row for each measure
  • Connecticut5.13.1 to 11.9
  • Maine3.32.5 to 9.5
  • Massachusetts4.33.0 to 17.8
  • New Hampshire2.62.2 to 16.0
  • Rhode Island3.62.7 to 17.9
  • Vermont2.61.8 to 14.1

Unemployment rate by state, middle atlantic, each month

September 2016 to September 2026Seasonally adjusted, as publishedNo picture is made of these rows; their numbers are in the table

Unemployment rate by state, middle atlantic, each month, one row for each measure
  • New Jersey4.23.1 to 15.4
  • New York4.33.8 to 16.7
  • Pennsylvania3.63.5 to 16.1

Unemployment rate by state, east north central, each month

September 2016 to September 2026Seasonally adjusted, as publishedNo picture is made of these rows; their numbers are in the table

Unemployment rate by state, east north central, each month, one row for each measure
  • Illinois4.63.6 to 18.3
  • Indiana3.42.9 to 16.9
  • Michigan5.03.7 to 22.7
  • Ohio3.43.3 to 16.5
  • Wisconsin3.22.6 to 14.1

Unemployment rate by state, west north central, each month

September 2016 to September 2026Seasonally adjusted, as publishedNo picture is made of these rows; their numbers are in the table

Unemployment rate by state, west north central, each month, one row for each measure
  • Iowa3.22.5 to 11.0
  • Kansas3.82.6 to 12.1
  • Minnesota4.52.2 to 11.1
  • Missouri3.62.4 to 11.6
  • Nebraska2.92.0 to 8.2
  • North Dakota2.22.0 to 8.7
  • South Dakota2.01.7 to 8.8

Each row is one line of the page over the last ten years, one month to a point, on a scale shared by the rows of the tab, with its newest value and its range printed beside it and a dashed line at zero. A gap is a month with no value. Pointing at the chart shows the month and the value.

Observed .

Unemployment rate by state, south atlantic, north, each month

September 2016 to September 2026Seasonally adjusted, as publishedNo picture is made of these rows; their numbers are in the table

Unemployment rate by state, south atlantic, north, each month, one row for each measure
  • Delaware4.63.5 to 13.4
  • District of Columbia5.64.0 to 11.3
  • Maryland3.91.9 to 9.0
  • Virginia3.62.5 to 11.9
  • West Virginia4.03.6 to 15.8

Unemployment rate by state, south atlantic, south, each month

September 2016 to September 2026Seasonally adjusted, as publishedNo picture is made of these rows; their numbers are in the table

Unemployment rate by state, south atlantic, south, each month, one row for each measure
  • Florida4.42.8 to 14.1
  • Georgia3.33.0 to 12.5
  • North Carolina3.43.4 to 14.2
  • South Carolina4.02.4 to 11.7

Unemployment rate by state, east south central, each month

September 2016 to September 2026Seasonally adjusted, as publishedNo picture is made of these rows; their numbers are in the table

Unemployment rate by state, east south central, each month, one row for each measure
  • Alabama3.52.3 to 13.8
  • Kentucky4.74.0 to 16.7
  • Mississippi3.32.8 to 15.6
  • Tennessee3.43.2 to 15.7

Unemployment rate by state, west south central, each month

September 2016 to September 2026Seasonally adjusted, as publishedNo picture is made of these rows; their numbers are in the table

Unemployment rate by state, west south central, each month, one row for each measure
  • Arkansas3.92.9 to 10.1
  • Louisiana4.03.5 to 13.5
  • Oklahoma4.22.9 to 12.5
  • Texas4.43.4 to 12.8

Each row is one line of the page over the last ten years, one month to a point, on a scale shared by the rows of the tab, with its newest value and its range printed beside it and a dashed line at zero. A gap is a month with no value. Pointing at the chart shows the month and the value.

Observed .

Unemployment rate by state, mountain, each month

September 2016 to September 2026Seasonally adjusted, as publishedNo picture is made of these rows; their numbers are in the table

Unemployment rate by state, mountain, each month, one row for each measure
  • Arizona4.93.4 to 13.8
  • Colorado4.12.4 to 11.7
  • Idaho3.62.7 to 11.8
  • Montana3.12.5 to 11.9
  • Nevada4.74.0 to 30.5
  • New Mexico4.73.4 to 9.3
  • Utah3.52.2 to 10.0
  • Wyoming3.02.8 to 8.7

Unemployment rate by state, pacific, each month

September 2016 to September 2026Seasonally adjusted, as publishedNo picture is made of these rows; their numbers are in the table

Unemployment rate by state, pacific, each month, one row for each measure
  • Alaska4.33.9 to 11.7
  • California5.13.8 to 16.1
  • Hawaii2.82.0 to 22.5
  • Oregon5.03.4 to 13.7
  • Washington4.83.6 to 17.1

Each row is one line of the page over the last ten years, one month to a point, on a scale shared by the rows of the tab, with its newest value and its range printed beside it and a dashed line at zero. A gap is a month with no value. Pointing at the chart shows the month and the value.

Observed .

Right now

Over a year to September 2026, of the 51 lines on this page the change was largest for Connecticut, up 0.9 percentage points, and smallest for New Jersey, down 1.3 percentage points.

Of these lines, 16 rose, 30 fell and 5 did not change over the year (ours, from the published values).

See every line with its value and rank

By lineOver a year, ours

Unemployment rate by state, change over a year, by line

September 2025 to September 2026Percentage points, ours, from the published values

  • New England
  • Middle Atlantic
  • East North Central
  • West North Central
  • South Atlantic, north
  • South Atlantic, south
  • East South Central
  • West South Central
  • Mountain
  • Pacific

Each bar is the change in one line over a year, the largest first, with its rank at the left and its newest value under the figure. A line with its own page links it from its name. A change below zero runs to the left of the zero line. The colour says which section of the page a line is in.

Observed .

Unemployment rate by state, change over a year in each month

Percentage points, ours, from the published values

Line
Connecticut–+0.8+0.8+0.9+1.0+1.1+1.2+1.3+1.3+1.3+1.0+0.9
Maine–+0.10.00.0−0.1−0.1−0.2−0.2−0.2−0.2−0.10.0
Massachusetts–+0.6+0.6+0.5+0.5+0.4+0.3+0.10.0−0.1−0.2−0.3
New Hampshire–+0.3+0.2+0.2+0.1−0.1−0.1−0.2−0.2−0.3−0.3−0.6
Rhode Island–−0.1−0.10.0+0.1+0.2+0.1−0.1−0.2−0.3−0.6−0.7
Vermont–+0.2+0.2+0.10.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0
New Jersey–+0.6+0.6+0.3+0.1−0.2−0.3−0.5−0.9−1.1−1.2−1.3
New York–+0.5+0.5+0.5+0.5+0.5+0.5+0.4+0.30.0−0.2−0.3
Pennsylvania–+0.4+0.4+0.2+0.10.00.00.0−0.2−0.5−0.7−0.8
Illinois–−0.1−0.1+0.2+0.3+0.5+0.6+0.7+0.8+0.6+0.4+0.1
Indiana–−0.6−0.5−0.5−0.5−0.4−0.4−0.4−0.4−0.4−0.4−0.3
Michigan–−0.2−0.3−0.3−0.3−0.3−0.20.00.00.0+0.1+0.1
Ohio–−0.4−0.4−0.5−0.7−0.7−0.9−1.0−1.0−1.1−1.1−0.9
Wisconsin–+0.10.00.0+0.1+0.3+0.3+0.3+0.2+0.3+0.1+0.1
Iowa–−0.1−0.1−0.1−0.1−0.3−0.3−0.4−0.3−0.3−0.3−0.2
Kansas–+0.10.0+0.1+0.1+0.1+0.10.0+0.1+0.1+0.10.0
Minnesota–+0.9+0.9+1.0+1.0+0.9+0.9+0.7+0.6+0.5+0.5+0.4
Missouri–+0.1+0.10.0−0.1−0.1−0.2−0.2−0.3−0.4−0.5−0.3
Nebraska–+0.2+0.1+0.1+0.2+0.2+0.1+0.10.00.00.00.0
North Dakota–+0.1+0.10.00.0−0.1−0.2−0.2−0.3−0.4−0.4−0.4
South Dakota–+0.3+0.3+0.2+0.3+0.3+0.2+0.10.00.0−0.1−0.1
Delaware–+1.3+1.3+1.3+1.1+1.0+0.8+0.6+0.20.0−0.3−0.6
District of Columbia–+1.2+1.1+1.0+0.6+0.3+0.10.0−0.2−0.4−0.8−1.0
Maryland–+0.9+0.8+0.8+0.7+0.6+0.6+0.4+0.20.0−0.2−0.4
Virginia–+0.5+0.5+0.5+0.6+0.5+0.5+0.5+0.6+0.4+0.3+0.2
West Virginia–+0.7+0.7+0.8+0.9+0.6+0.5+0.3+0.2−0.1−0.3−0.5
Florida–+0.8+0.8+1.0+1.0+1.1+1.1+1.1+0.9+0.7+0.5+0.2
Georgia–+0.1+0.1+0.1+0.2+0.1+0.2+0.1+0.10.0−0.2−0.1
North Carolina–+0.10.00.00.0−0.1−0.1−0.1−0.2−0.3−0.4−0.5
South Carolina–+0.5+0.6+0.8+0.9+0.7+0.6+0.30.0−0.2−0.5−0.7
Alabama–−0.4−0.4−0.4−0.3−0.3−0.1+0.1+0.3+0.6+0.6+0.7
Kentucky–−0.5−0.5−0.5−0.6−0.5−0.4−0.2+0.1+0.1+0.2+0.2
Mississippi–0.0−0.1−0.3−0.2−0.1−0.1−0.10.0−0.2−0.3−0.4
Tennessee–0.0+0.10.0+0.1+0.1+0.1+0.10.0−0.1−0.1−0.1
Arkansas–+0.6+0.6+0.6+0.6+0.4+0.4+0.2+0.1−0.1−0.3−0.3
Louisiana–−0.2−0.20.00.0+0.1+0.1+0.2+0.1+0.10.0−0.2
Oklahoma–+0.6+0.6+0.8+0.8+0.8+0.9+1.0+1.0+1.0+0.9+0.6
Texas–+0.1+0.2+0.2+0.2+0.2+0.2+0.2+0.3+0.3+0.2+0.1
Arizona–+0.4+0.3+0.3+0.4+0.5+0.5+0.5+0.6+0.6+0.5+0.5
Colorado–−0.5−0.5−0.4−0.4−0.3−0.3−0.2−0.10.0+0.1+0.3
Idaho–0.0−0.10.00.00.00.0+0.1+0.10.00.00.0
Montana–+0.7+0.7+0.7+0.6+0.5+0.4+0.2+0.1−0.1−0.2−0.4
Nevada–−0.2−0.2−0.1−0.10.00.00.0−0.1−0.2−0.4−0.5
New Mexico–+0.1+0.1+0.4+0.6+0.7+0.8+0.9+0.8+0.8+0.6+0.5
Utah–+0.4+0.4+0.5+0.4+0.4+0.4+0.2+0.1+0.1−0.1−0.1
Wyoming–+0.2+0.2+0.4+0.4+0.4+0.3+0.20.0−0.3−0.3−0.4
Alaska–+0.2+0.3+0.3+0.1+0.10.00.0−0.2−0.3−0.3−0.4
California–+0.1+0.10.00.0−0.1−0.1−0.2−0.3−0.4−0.4−0.4
Hawaii–−0.5−0.4−0.4−0.3−0.1−0.1+0.1+0.3+0.5+0.6+0.7
Oregon–+0.8+0.6+0.4+0.3+0.2+0.10.00.0−0.1−0.2−0.3
Washington–+0.6+0.6+0.6+0.7+0.6+0.7+0.7+0.7+0.4+0.3+0.1

Each chip is one month's change from the same month a year earlier. The mark in its middle is zero: a fill to the right of it is a rise and a fill to the left a fall. A longer, brighter fill is a larger change, in five steps up to 0.8 and over. Every chip prints its figure and sign. A dash is a month with no figure.

Observed .

Understanding unemployment by state

Where it stands today

The largest change over a year was Connecticut, up 0.9 percentage points, in September 2026.

What do the lines of this page measure?

This is the unemployment rate of each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes it each month in its Local Area Unemployment Statistics, which it builds from a model that combines the Current Population Survey, the survey of employers and the claims for unemployment insurance of each state.

Read more

The states are in the nine census divisions, with the South Atlantic division in two parts so that no part has more than eight states. A state with a link has a page of its own with its payrolls, hours and earnings, job openings, labor force and the counties it holds.

What 500metrics adds: the change over a year of every state, ranked across the page; the last ten years of every state as rows of small charts; and a table of the change over a year in each of the last twelve months.

The numbers behind the chart

What is the latest value of each line?51 lines, in the sections of the page
Unemployment rate by state: the newest month of each line, its change over a year (ours) and its rank by that change; equal changes share a rank
LineSectionMonthValueChange over a yearRank
ConnecticutNew England5.1%+0.9 pts1
MaineNew England3.3%0.0 pts17
MassachusettsNew England4.3%−0.3 pts28
New HampshireNew England2.6%−0.6 pts44
Rhode IslandNew England3.6%−0.7 pts46
VermontNew England2.6%0.0 pts17
New JerseyMiddle Atlantic4.2%−1.3 pts51
New YorkMiddle Atlantic4.3%−0.3 pts28
PennsylvaniaMiddle Atlantic3.6%−0.8 pts48
IllinoisEast North Central4.6%+0.1 pts12
IndianaEast North Central3.4%−0.3 pts28
MichiganEast North Central5.0%+0.1 pts12
OhioEast North Central3.4%−0.9 pts49
WisconsinEast North Central3.2%+0.1 pts12
IowaWest North Central3.2%−0.2 pts26
KansasWest North Central3.8%0.0 pts17
MinnesotaWest North Central4.5%+0.4 pts7
MissouriWest North Central3.6%−0.3 pts28
NebraskaWest North Central2.9%0.0 pts17
North DakotaWest North Central2.2%−0.4 pts34
South DakotaWest North Central2.0%−0.1 pts22
DelawareSouth Atlantic, north4.6%−0.6 pts44
District of ColumbiaSouth Atlantic, north5.6%−1.0 pts50
MarylandSouth Atlantic, north3.9%−0.4 pts34
VirginiaSouth Atlantic, north3.6%+0.2 pts9
West VirginiaSouth Atlantic, north4.0%−0.5 pts41
FloridaSouth Atlantic, south4.4%+0.2 pts9
GeorgiaSouth Atlantic, south3.3%−0.1 pts22
North CarolinaSouth Atlantic, south3.4%−0.5 pts41
South CarolinaSouth Atlantic, south4.0%−0.7 pts46
AlabamaEast South Central3.5%+0.7 pts2
KentuckyEast South Central4.7%+0.2 pts9
MississippiEast South Central3.3%−0.4 pts34
TennesseeEast South Central3.4%−0.1 pts22
ArkansasWest South Central3.9%−0.3 pts28
LouisianaWest South Central4.0%−0.2 pts26
OklahomaWest South Central4.2%+0.6 pts4
TexasWest South Central4.4%+0.1 pts12
ArizonaMountain4.9%+0.5 pts5
ColoradoMountain4.1%+0.3 pts8
IdahoMountain3.6%0.0 pts17
MontanaMountain3.1%−0.4 pts34
NevadaMountain4.7%−0.5 pts41
New MexicoMountain4.7%+0.5 pts5
UtahMountain3.5%−0.1 pts22
WyomingMountain3.0%−0.4 pts34
AlaskaPacific4.3%−0.4 pts34
CaliforniaPacific5.1%−0.4 pts34
HawaiiPacific2.8%+0.7 pts2
OregonPacific5.0%−0.3 pts28
WashingtonPacific4.8%+0.1 pts12

The table scrolls sideways; the first column stays in place.

What do these figures leave out, and how are they cited?Limits, dates and how to cite

What this number cannot tell you

  • The state rates are estimates from a model, not a count: each month's value is revised, and BLS revises the whole of the past years every March when it adjusts the model to the year's data.
  • The rate is a share of the labor force of its own state, so a state with a small labor force can move more from one month to the next than a large one.
  • BLS seasonally adjusts the rates. The rates of the United States on the unemployment rate page come from the household survey, and the rates of the states come from a model.
  • The changes and the ranks are ours, worked out from the values BLS publishes; a change is in percentage points.

Observed .

How to cite this

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Unemployment rate, seasonally adjusted, through September 2026. Compiled by 500metrics, "What is the unemployment rate in each state?", https://500metrics.com/unemployment-rate-by-state.

Can the data be downloaded?unemployment-rate-by-state.csv

Download the last ten years of every line as CSV: 6,120 rows, to , 260,114 bytes.

Our text and compilation: CC BY 4.0.

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