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Unemployment rate by state, September 2026
The share of the labor force that is out of work and looking, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' state program. Monthly figures are seasonally adjusted and the latest month is preliminary.
Data vintage: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, September 2026 (preliminary); annual averages for 2025, 2024 and 2019. Last checked 2026-10-27 by The CompareTheData team.
Data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS). Jump to sources · Methodology
Key takeaways
- Highest unemployment in September 2026 (preliminary): District of Columbia (5.6%), California (5.1%) and Connecticut (5.1%).
- Lowest: South Dakota (2.0%), North Dakota (2.2%) and Vermont (2.6%).
- 16 jurisdictions had a higher rate than a year earlier; 30 were lower.
- Compared with the 2019 annual average, 35 jurisdictions now have higher unemployment.
Unemployment rate by state chart
Unemployment rate by state, ranked (highest first)
Click a column heading to sort. Download this table (CSV).
| Rank | State | September 2026 | A year earlier | Change | 2025 average | 2024 average | 2019 average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 5.6% | 6.6% | −1.0 pts | 6.3% | 5.3% | 5.5% |
| 2 | California | 5.1% | 5.5% | −0.4 pts | 5.5% | 5.3% | 4.1% |
| 3 | Connecticut | 5.1% | 4.2% | +0.9 pts | 4.0% | 3.3% | 3.6% |
| 4 | Michigan | 5.0% | 4.9% | +0.1 pts | 5.2% | 4.7% | 4.1% |
| 5 | Oregon | 5.0% | 5.3% | −0.3 pts | 5.2% | 4.3% | 3.7% |
| 6 | Arizona | 4.9% | 4.4% | +0.5 pts | 4.3% | 3.7% | 4.8% |
| 7 | Washington | 4.8% | 4.7% | +0.1 pts | 4.7% | 4.5% | 4.2% |
| 8 | Kentucky | 4.7% | 4.5% | +0.2 pts | 4.6% | 4.8% | 4.1% |
| 9 | Nevada | 4.7% | 5.2% | −0.5 pts | 5.3% | 5.4% | 4.1% |
| 10 | New Mexico | 4.7% | 4.2% | +0.5 pts | 4.2% | 4.1% | 5.0% |
| 11 | Delaware | 4.6% | 5.2% | −0.6 pts | 4.8% | 3.9% | 3.6% |
| 12 | Illinois | 4.6% | 4.5% | +0.1 pts | 4.6% | 5.0% | 4.0% |
| 13 | Minnesota | 4.5% | 4.1% | +0.4 pts | 3.9% | 3.1% | 3.3% |
| 14 | Florida | 4.4% | 4.2% | +0.2 pts | 3.9% | 3.4% | 3.2% |
| 15 | Texas | 4.4% | 4.3% | +0.1 pts | 4.2% | 4.1% | 3.5% |
| 16 | Alaska | 4.3% | 4.7% | −0.4 pts | 4.7% | 4.5% | 5.6% |
| 17 | Massachusetts | 4.3% | 4.6% | −0.3 pts | 4.5% | 4.0% | 3.0% |
| 18 | New York | 4.3% | 4.6% | −0.3 pts | 4.3% | 4.2% | 3.9% |
| 19 | New Jersey | 4.2% | 5.5% | −1.3 pts | 5.2% | 4.6% | 3.5% |
| 20 | Oklahoma | 4.2% | 3.6% | +0.6 pts | 3.4% | 3.2% | 3.1% |
| 21 | Colorado | 4.1% | 3.8% | +0.3 pts | 4.0% | 4.1% | 2.7% |
| 22 | Louisiana | 4.0% | 4.2% | −0.2 pts | 4.3% | 4.3% | 4.6% |
| 23 | South Carolina | 4.0% | 4.7% | −0.7 pts | 4.5% | 4.1% | 2.8% |
| 24 | West Virginia | 4.0% | 4.5% | −0.5 pts | 4.2% | 4.1% | 4.9% |
| 25 | Arkansas | 3.9% | 4.2% | −0.3 pts | 4.1% | 3.5% | 3.5% |
| 26 | Maryland | 3.9% | 4.3% | −0.4 pts | 4.0% | 3.2% | 3.4% |
| 27 | Kansas | 3.8% | 3.8% | +0.0 pts | 3.8% | 3.5% | 3.2% |
| 28 | Idaho | 3.6% | 3.6% | +0.0 pts | 3.7% | 3.6% | 2.9% |
| 29 | Missouri | 3.6% | 3.9% | −0.3 pts | 4.0% | 3.7% | 3.2% |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | 3.6% | 4.4% | −0.8 pts | 4.3% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| 31 | Rhode Island | 3.6% | 4.3% | −0.7 pts | 4.5% | 4.2% | 3.5% |
| 32 | Virginia | 3.6% | 3.4% | +0.2 pts | 3.4% | 2.9% | 2.8% |
| 33 | Alabama | 3.5% | 2.8% | +0.7 pts | 2.9% | 3.0% | 3.2% |
| 34 | Utah | 3.5% | 3.6% | −0.1 pts | 3.6% | 3.3% | 2.5% |
| 35 | Indiana | 3.4% | 3.7% | −0.3 pts | 3.7% | 4.0% | 3.3% |
| 36 | North Carolina | 3.4% | 3.9% | −0.5 pts | 3.8% | 3.7% | 3.9% |
| 37 | Ohio | 3.4% | 4.3% | −0.9 pts | 4.6% | 4.4% | 4.1% |
| 38 | Tennessee | 3.4% | 3.5% | −0.1 pts | 3.5% | 3.4% | 3.3% |
| 39 | Georgia | 3.3% | 3.4% | −0.1 pts | 3.4% | 3.4% | 3.6% |
| 40 | Maine | 3.3% | 3.3% | +0.0 pts | 3.4% | 3.0% | 2.9% |
| 41 | Mississippi | 3.3% | 3.7% | −0.4 pts | 3.8% | 3.2% | 5.5% |
| 42 | Iowa | 3.2% | 3.4% | −0.2 pts | 3.5% | 3.2% | 2.7% |
| 43 | Wisconsin | 3.2% | 3.1% | +0.1 pts | 3.2% | 3.0% | 3.2% |
| 44 | Montana | 3.1% | 3.5% | −0.4 pts | 3.3% | 3.0% | 3.5% |
| 45 | Wyoming | 3.0% | 3.4% | −0.4 pts | 3.4% | 3.1% | 3.7% |
| 46 | Nebraska | 2.9% | 2.9% | +0.0 pts | 3.0% | 2.7% | 3.1% |
| 47 | Hawaii | 2.8% | 2.1% | +0.7 pts | 2.4% | 2.8% | 2.5% |
| 48 | New Hampshire | 2.6% | 3.2% | −0.6 pts | 3.2% | 2.6% | 2.6% |
| 49 | Vermont | 2.6% | 2.6% | +0.0 pts | 2.7% | 2.3% | 2.1% |
| 50 | North Dakota | 2.2% | 2.6% | −0.4 pts | 2.6% | 2.4% | 2.2% |
| 51 | South Dakota | 2.0% | 2.1% | −0.1 pts | 2.1% | 1.8% | 2.7% |
What changed over the past year
Biggest increases from a year earlier: Connecticut (+0.9 pts), Alabama (+0.7 pts) and Hawaii (+0.7 pts). Biggest decreases: New Jersey (−1.3 pts), District of Columbia (−1.0 pts) and Ohio (−0.9 pts). State estimates are model-based and are revised each March, so differences of a few tenths of a point between states are usually not significant.
How to read these numbers
- Monthly state rates come from statistical models combining survey, payroll and claims data and are revised.
- The unemployment rate excludes people who have stopped looking for work.
- Annual averages are not seasonally adjusted.
Common questions
Which state has the highest unemployment rate?
California at 5.1% in September 2026 (preliminary). The District of Columbia was 5.6%.
Which state has the lowest unemployment rate?
South Dakota at 2.0%.
How often are state unemployment rates updated?
Monthly, usually about three weeks after the national jobs report.
Sources
Figures computed by CompareTheData.com from the official files below; the raw downloads are archived with the build. Where D.C. is included it is ranked alongside the states.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (la.data.2 and la.data.3). through September 2026 (preliminary), downloaded Oct 27, 2026.