What does this unemployment ranking show?

It orders states by Unemployment rate. It is a comparison of this one published measure, not an overall ranking of where to live.

Where do these figures come from?

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics supplies this measure. States without a comparable published value are shown as not ranked rather than estimated.

How should I use this ranking?

Use it to narrow a search, then open a state or county profile for the underlying figures, source dates and caveats. A statewide number may not describe every neighbourhood.

Rankings · Jobs

Lowest unemployment by state

Unemployment rate.

State: BLS LAUS monthly. County: Census ACS 5-yr average.

How to read this ranking

South Dakota has the lowest published unemployment in this comparison, at 2.0%. The next states shown are North Dakota (2.3%) and Hawaii (2.6%).

The table orders 51 states by unemployment rate. It describes one published measure, not an overall judgment about where to live.

Use the result as a starting point, then compare the underlying source, dates, and local county figures before making a decision. State: BLS LAUS monthly. County: Census ACS 5-yr average.

1South Dakota2.0%
2North Dakota2.3%
3Hawaii2.6%
4Vermont2.6%
5Nebraska2.9%
6New Hampshire2.9%
7Maine3.1%
8Alabama3.2%
9Iowa3.2%
10Wyoming3.2%
11Indiana3.3%
12Montana3.3%
13Wisconsin3.3%
14Georgia3.4%
15Tennessee3.5%
16North Carolina3.6%
17Ohio3.6%
18Utah3.6%
19Idaho3.7%
20Missouri3.7%
21Virginia3.7%
22Kansas3.8%
23Mississippi3.8%
24Colorado3.9%
25Arkansas4.1%
26Pennsylvania4.1%
27Rhode Island4.1%
28Oklahoma4.2%
29West Virginia4.2%
30Maryland4.3%
31Alaska4.4%
32Louisiana4.4%
33Massachusetts4.4%
34Minnesota4.4%
35South Carolina4.4%
36Texas4.4%
37New Jersey4.5%
38New York4.6%
39Florida4.7%
40Kentucky4.7%
41New Mexico4.8%
42Arizona4.9%
43Delaware4.9%
44Michigan5.0%
45Illinois5.1%
46Nevada5.1%
47California5.2%
48Connecticut5.2%
49Oregon5.2%
50Washington5.2%
51District of Columbia6.0%

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Frequently asked questions

What does this ranking show?: It orders states by Unemployment rate. It is one measure, not an overall verdict on where to live.
Where do the figures come from?: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. States without a comparable published figure are listed as not ranked rather than estimated.
How should I use it?: Use it to narrow your search, then open a state or county profile for the source date, caveats and local context.

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<iframe src="https://movermath.com/embed/unemployment" width="100%" height="420" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Unemployment rate by state"></iframe>

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. · How this is built

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