U.S. States · Lowest to highest
States ranked by lowest unemployment
State unemployment rate captures the share of the labor force currently looking for work. The ACS5 figure is more stable than the monthly BLS unemployment data because it's a 5-year average.
Top 5
Lowest-unemployment states cluster in the Plains (North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska) and parts of New England (Vermont, New Hampshire) — small, stable labor markets with diversified anchors.
Bottom 5
Highest-unemployment states include Nevada, California, and several Deep South states. Nevada's tourism-heavy economy is structurally more cyclical.
- #51 Nevada6.8%
- #50 District of Columbia6.5%
- #49 California6.4%
- #48 Louisiana6.3%
- #47 New York6.2%
All 50 states
| # | State | Lowest unemployment |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North DakotaND | 2.8% |
| 2 | NebraskaNE | 3% |
| 3 | South DakotaSD | 3% |
| 4 | WisconsinWI | 3.3% |
| 5 | New HampshireNH | 3.4% |
| 6 | UtahUT | 3.4% |
| 7 | IowaIA | 3.6% |
| 8 | IdahoID | 3.7% |
| 9 | VermontVT | 3.7% |
| 10 | WyomingWY | 3.7% |
| 11 | MontanaMT | 3.8% |
| 12 | KansasKS | 3.9% |
| 13 | MaineME | 3.9% |
| 14 | MinnesotaMN | 3.9% |
| 15 | MissouriMO | 4.1% |
| 16 | IndianaIN | 4.3% |
| 17 | VirginiaVA | 4.3% |
| 18 | ColoradoCO | 4.5% |
| 19 | TennesseeTN | 4.7% |
| 20 | AlabamaAL | 4.8% |
| 21 | FloridaFL | 4.8% |
| 22 | KentuckyKY | 4.8% |
| 23 | North CarolinaNC | 4.8% |
| 24 | OhioOH | 4.8% |
| 25 | MarylandMD | 4.9% |
| 26 | OklahomaOK | 4.9% |
| 27 | HawaiiHI | 5% |
| 28 | South CarolinaSC | 5% |
| 29 | WashingtonWA | 5% |
| 30 | ArkansasAR | 5.1% |
| 31 | DelawareDE | 5.1% |
| 32 | GeorgiaGA | 5.1% |
| 33 | MassachusettsMA | 5.1% |
| 34 | TexasTX | 5.1% |
| 35 | ArizonaAZ | 5.2% |
| 36 | PennsylvaniaPA | 5.2% |
| 37 | OregonOR | 5.4% |
| 38 | ConnecticutCT | 5.6% |
| 39 | Rhode IslandRI | 5.7% |
| 40 | West VirginiaWV | 5.7% |
| 41 | AlaskaAK | 5.8% |
| 42 | IllinoisIL | 5.8% |
| 43 | MichiganMI | 5.8% |
| 44 | MississippiMS | 6% |
| 45 | New MexicoNM | 6% |
| 46 | New JerseyNJ | 6.2% |
| 47 | New YorkNY | 6.2% |
| 48 | LouisianaLA | 6.3% |
| 49 | CaliforniaCA | 6.4% |
| 50 | District of ColumbiaDC | 6.5% |
| 51 | NevadaNV | 6.8% |
Methodology
- What this measures
- ACS5 Table B23025: employment status of the population 16 and over in the labor force. Unemployment rate = unemployed / (employed + unemployed).
- Why it matters
- Unemployment is a real-time read on labor-market health, but ACS5's 5-year smoothing removes the cyclical noise and shows structural state-level differences.
- Caveats
- Doesn't capture labor force participation — a state with a low unemployment rate can have many working-age adults outside the labor force entirely. Pair this ranking with the labor force participation lens.
- Source
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, vintage 2023 (released December 2024). census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
Frequently asked
- Is unemployment a good measure of state economic health?
- Imperfect alone. Pair with labor force participation, median income, and educational attainment for a complete picture.