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.

Lowest unemployment by state

Unemployment rate.

BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, monthly. States are seasonally adjusted; counties are not (BLS publishes no adjusted county series), so a county's rate moves with the seasons and its newest month is preliminary. Each figure is dated with its own month.

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 (2.2%) and New Hampshire (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. BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, monthly. States are seasonally adjusted; counties are not (BLS publishes no adjusted county series), so a county's rate moves with the seasons and its newest month is preliminary. Each figure is dated with its own month.

1South Dakota2.0%
2North Dakota2.2%
3New Hampshire2.6%
4Vermont2.6%
5Hawaii2.8%
6Nebraska2.9%
7Wyoming3.0%
8Montana3.1%
9Iowa3.2%
10Wisconsin3.2%
11Georgia3.3%
12Maine3.3%
13Mississippi3.3%
14Indiana3.4%
15North Carolina3.4%
16Ohio3.4%
17Tennessee3.4%
18Alabama3.5%
19Utah3.5%
20Idaho3.6%
21Missouri3.6%
22Pennsylvania3.6%
23Rhode Island3.6%
24Virginia3.6%
25Kansas3.8%
26Arkansas3.9%
27Maryland3.9%
28Louisiana4.0%
29South Carolina4.0%
30West Virginia4.0%
31Colorado4.1%
32New Jersey4.2%
33Oklahoma4.2%
34Alaska4.3%
35Massachusetts4.3%
36New York4.3%
37Florida4.4%
38Texas4.4%
39Minnesota4.5%
40Delaware4.6%
41Illinois4.6%
42Kentucky4.7%
43New Mexico4.7%
44Nevada4.7%
45Washington4.8%
46Arizona4.9%
47Michigan5.0%
48Oregon5.0%
49California5.1%
50Connecticut5.1%
51District of Columbia5.6%

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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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Free to use. The chart names its source and links back, so it stays honest wherever it ends up.

<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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