State Unemployment by Race and Ethnicity

Slow growth and a weak labor market allow racial economic inequality to persist

Key numbers • 2026 Q2

Mich., S.C. Highest Black-white unemployment ratio 3-to-1
P.A. Highest Hispanic-white unemployment ratio 2.4-to-1
U.S. National Black-white unemployment ratio 2.2-to-1
U.S. National Hispanic-white unemployment ratio 1.5-to-1

2026 Q2 • Updated August 2026

The second quarter of 2026 saw persistent racial inequality in unemployment rates across states

By Kyle K. Moore 

EPI analyzes national and state unemployment rates by race and ethnicity, and racial/ethnic unemployment rate gaps on a quarterly basis to generate a consistent sample to create reliable and precise estimates of unemployment rates by race and ethnicity at the state level.

We report estimates for all states and subgroups, flagging those for which constructed unemployment rates are heavily weighted by national level data with an asterisk (*) (see methodological note). The following analysis contains data on the second quarter of 2026.

Methodological note

As of 2022 Q2, EPI has updated its methodology for constructing state-level unemployment rates and ratios by race/ethnicity, with the goal of providing a more consistent set of states for analysis from quarter to quarter. The new methodology uses a longer time horizon of state-level unemployment data from the Current Population Survey (12 months vs. 6 months) and leverages national-level data to better represent state-level race groupings that traditionally have been dropped from the analysis due to low sample size. As a result of this methodological change, reports in this series from 2022 Q2 forward are not directly comparable with reports prior to 2022 Q2.

In contrast to previous reports, all states now have listed unemployment rates for each of the four analyzed groups for every quarter. However, those states and demographic groups with typically small sample sizes require a heavier weighting of national-level data to supplement their analysis and are noted as such with an asterisk (*). These estimates should be interpreted with caution, as they may be less precise or representative measures of state-specific conditions than those calculated in states with larger sample sizes. The full methodological update is detailed in our technical report.1

Second-quarter 2026 state unemployment rates, trends, and ratios 

The second quarter of 2026 saw a weak labor market and slowing economic growth, and thus, little progress in narrowing labor market gaps between groups across states

The national unemployment rate for all workers for the second quarter of 2026 remained at 4.3%, unchanged from the previous quarter and the 2025 annual average. Again, twenty-seven states (including Washington, D.C) saw overall unemployment rates above 4%.

Washington, D.C., once again had the highest overall unemployment rate and the only rate above 6% nationwide, at 6.1%. Eight states (including D.C.) had overall unemployment rates above 5% in the second quarter. South and North Dakota had the lowest overall unemployment rates at 2.1% and 2.4% respectively.

Overall unemployment rates 2026 Q2

Highest: D.C. (6.1%)

Lowest: S.D. (2.1%)

National: 4.3%

Overall unemployment rates across states saw little improvement through the second quarter of 2026. Economic growth slowed compared with the first quarter, while inflation continued to stay above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. Job growth was weak across the quarter as well. Given that strong economic growth helps to support tighter labor markets that narrow racial labor market disparities, the current weak levels of government spending and investment are not helping a move toward equity. As long as Black and brown workers continue to face higher rates of unemployment and lower wages than their white and AAPI counterparts do, slow overall growth and persistent inflation will affect those communities more severely as well.

Interactive Map

State unemployment rates, by race/ethnicity and overall, 2026 Q2

State All White Black Hispanic AAPI
United States 4.3% 3.3% 7.2% 5.0% 3.8%
Alabama 3.0% 2.1% 5.0% 3.5%* 2.7%*
Alaska 4.5% 3.6% 7.7%* 5.0%* 4.0%*
Arizona 4.8% 3.4% 7.4%* 6.1% 4.8%*
Arkansas 4.2% 3.1% 8.1% 5.1%* 3.8%*
California 5.3% 4.6% 8.9% 5.7% 4.2%
Colorado 3.9% 3.4% 6.0%* 5.6% 3.5%*
Connecticut 5.1% 3.7% 9.4%* 6.8% 4.6%*
Delaware 5.1% 3.9% 7.9% 6.1%* 4.6%*
Florida 4.8% 4.0% 8.6% 4.0% 4.3%*
Georgia 3.4% 2.3% 4.9% 3.8%* 3.1%*
Hawaii 2.5% 2.4% 4.2%* 3.5%* 2.0%
Idaho 3.7% 3.5% 6.2%* 4.4% 3.3%*
Illinois 5.1% 3.8% 9.6% 5.7% 4.3%
Indiana 3.3% 2.7% 6.5% 3.9%* 3.0%*
Iowa 3.2% 2.6% 6.5%* 3.8%* 2.9%*
Kansas 3.8% 3.1% 6.7%* 4.8%* 3.5%*
Kentucky 4.5% 3.8% 8.3% 5.3%* 4.1%*
Louisiana 4.4% 3.0% 6.3% 5.8% 4.0%*
Maine 3.1% 3.0% 5.3%* 3.6%* 2.8%*
Maryland 4.4% 2.9% 7.5% 4.8%* 3.9%*
Massachusetts 4.5% 3.8% 6.8% 6.9% 4.4%
Michigan 5.0% 3.8% 11.4% 6.0% 4.5%*
Minnesota 4.4% 3.8% 7.9%* 5.2%* 4.0%*
Mississippi 3.8% 2.8% 5.6% 4.5%* 3.4%*
Missouri 3.8% 3.0% 7.0% 4.4%* 3.4%*
Montana 3.4% 3.3% 5.8%* 4.0%* 3.1%*
Nebraska 3.0% 2.7% 5.0%* 3.8%* 2.7%*
Nevada 5.2% 4.6% 8.4% 5.5% 3.7%
New Hampshire 3.0% 2.8% 5.1%* 3.5%* 2.7%*
New Jersey 4.7% 3.8% 6.8% 5.2% 4.8%
New Mexico 4.9% 3.6% 7.1%* 5.7% 4.4%*
New York 4.6% 3.3% 8.0% 6.3% 3.7%
North Carolina 3.7% 2.8% 6.3% 2.9% 3.3%*
North Dakota 2.4% 1.8% 4.0%* 2.8%* 2.1%*
Ohio 3.7% 3.2% 6.0% 4.5%* 3.4%*
Oklahoma 4.1% 3.6% 7.4%* 3.9% 3.7%*
Oregon 5.2% 4.4% 8.8%* 6.7% 4.9%*
Pennsylvania 4.2% 3.3% 6.9% 8.1% 3.8%*
Rhode Island 4.3% 3.0% 7.3%* 6.2% 3.9%*
South Carolina 4.6% 2.9% 8.7% 5.4%* 4.1%*
South Dakota 2.1% 1.3% 3.6%* 2.5%* 1.9%*
Tennessee 3.6% 2.9% 7.1% 4.1%* 3.2%*
Texas 4.3% 3.4% 7.2% 4.6% 3.2%
Utah 3.7% 3.6% 6.3%* 4.5% 3.3%*
Vermont 2.6% 2.4% 4.4%* 3.0%* 2.3%*
Virginia 3.8% 2.6% 7.2% 4.0% 3.5%*
Washington 5.2% 4.7% 8.5%* 5.8% 4.9%
Washington D.C. 6.1% 3.7% 9.5% 8.0% 5.5%*
West Virginia 4.3% 4.0% 8.1%* 5.0%* 3.9%*
Wisconsin 3.4% 2.6% 7.0%* 4.3%* 3.1%*
Wyoming 3.4% 3.3% 5.7%* 4.2% 3.0%*
Economic Policy Institute

Notes: AAPI stands for Asian American and Pacific Islander. Unemployment rates for each demographic group are produced from a weighted average of state and national unemployment trends. Those states and demographic groups with typically small sample sizes require a heavier weighting of national-level data to supplement their analysis. See methodological note for more detail. 

Source: EPI analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) data and Current Population Survey (CPS) data.

Copy the code below to embed this chart on your website.

Second-quarter 2026 trends among white workers 

Every state had a white unemployment rate below 5% in the second quarter of 2026. Six states had white unemployment rates at or above 4%: in ascending order, Florida, West Virginia, Oregon, California, Nevada, and Washington. Twenty-one states had white unemployment rates at or below 3%. The national unemployment rate for white workers was 3.3% in the second quarter of 2026, largely unchanged from the first quarter. No state saw a change in its white unemployment rate of more than one percentage point in either direction.

White unemployment rates 2026 Q2

Highest: Wash. (4.7%)

Lowest: S.D. (1.3%)

National: 3.3%

Second-quarter 2026 trends among Black workers 

Most states (46, including D.C.) saw Black unemployment rates at or above 5% in the second quarter of 2026. Michigan had the highest Black unemployment rate and the only rate above 10% in the country, at 11.4%. Georgia had the lowest Black unemployment rate in the second quarter among states with large-enough Black worker populations for precise estimates, at 4.9%. South Dakota had the lowest-recorded Black unemployment rate, irrespective of sample size, at 3.6%.

The national unemployment rate for Black workers in the second quarter of 2026 was 7.2%, unchanged from the previous period. Black unemployment rates fell by one or more percentage points in Ohio (-1.3 percentage points), California (-1 percentage point), and New Jersey (-1 percentage point). Black unemployment rates rose by one or more percentage points in seven states, with Connecticut seeing the largest increase (2 percentage points, though with a small Black worker sample), followed by Virginia (1.5 percentage points).

Black unemployment rates 2026 Q2

Highest: Mich. (11.4%)

Lowest: S.D.* (3.6%); Ga. (4.9%) 

National: 7.2%

The national Black-white unemployment ratio for 2026 Q2 was 2.2-to-1; in other words, across the nation Black workers were over twice as likely to be unemployed as white workers. Michigan and South Carolina were tied for the highest Black-white unemployment ratio at 3-to-1. Several states tied for the lowest Black-white unemployment ratio in states with large-enough sample sizes of Black workers for precise estimates, at 1.8-to-1: Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, and Ohio. Black workers were twice as likely or more to be unemployed than white workers in 35 states (including Washington, D.C.) in the second quarter of 2026.

Black-white unemployment ratios 2026 Q2

Highest: Mich., S.C. (3.1-to-1)

Lowest: Colo.*, Mont.*, Utah*, Wyo.* (1.7-to-1) ;Mass., Nev., N.J., Ohio (1.8-to-1)

National: 2.2-to-1

Second-quarter 2026 trends among Hispanic workers

Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., had the highest Hispanic unemployment rates in the second quarter of 2026, at 8.1% and 8% respectively. South Dakota had the lowest Hispanic unemployment rate at 2.5%, but its Hispanic worker sample size is small. North Carolina had the lowest Hispanic unemployment rate among those states with large-enough Hispanic worker sample sizes for precise estimates. Only North Carolina, North Dakota, and South Dakota had Hispanic unemployment rates below 3%.  Connecticut was the only state with a change in the Hispanic unemployment rate greater than one percentage point, increasing by 1.2 percentage points to 6.8% through the second quarter. The national Hispanic unemployment rate in the second quarter of 2026 was 5%.

Hispanic unemployment rates 2026 Q2

Highest: Pa. (8.1%), D.C. (8%)

Lowest: S.D.* (2.5%), N.C. (2.9%)

National: 5%

In the second quarter of 2026, the nationwide Hispanic-white unemployment ratio remained at 1.5-to-1, meaning Hispanic workers were 50% more likely to be unemployed than white workers nationwide. Hispanic workers were twice as likely or more than white workers to be unemployed in Rhode Island (2.1-to-1), Washington, D.C. (2.2-to-1), and Pennsylvania (2.4-to-1). Florida and North Carolina remained the states with the lowest Hispanic-to-white unemployment rates in the second quarter of 2026, at 1-to-1, meaning these were the only states where Hispanic workers were as likely as white workers to be employed.

Hispanic-white unemployment ratios 2026 Q2

Highest: Pa. (2.4-to-1)

Lowest:  Fla, N.C. (1-to-1) 

National: 1.5-to-1

Second-quarter 2026 trends among Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) workers

In the second quarter of 2026, the AAPI unemployment rate was highest in Washington, D.C., at 5.5%, though D.C. has a small AAPI worker sample that does not allow for precise estimates. Washington state had the highest AAPI unemployment rate among those states with sufficient AAPI sample sizes, at 4.9%. South Dakota had the lowest AAPI unemployment rate, at 1.9%, though its AAPI worker sample size is small; Hawaii had the lowest AAPI unemployment rate among those states with large-enough sample sizes for precise estimates, at 2%. The national AAPI unemployment rate for the second quarter of 2026 was 3.8%, largely unchanged from the previous quarter.

AAPI unemployment rates 2026 Q2

Highest: D.C* (5.5%), Wash. (4.9%)

Lowest: S.D.* (1.9%), Hawaii (2%)

National: 3.8%

Table 1

Change in state unemployment rates by race and ethnicity from 2024 Q4 to 2026 Q2 (percentage points)

State All White Black Hispanic AAPI
United States 0.1 0.0 0.9 -0.2 0.1
Alabama -0.1 -0.6 0.9 -0.4* -0.1*
Alaska -0.0 1.0 0.6* -0.2* 0.2*
Arizona 0.8 0.1 2.1* 1.3 1.1*
Arkansas 0.5 -0.3 3.3 0.6* 0.5*
California -0.1 -0.3 1.0 -0.4 0.3
Colorado -0.4 -0.2 -1.0* -0.2 -0.3*
Connecticut 1.6 0.7 4.5* 2.3 1.5*
Delaware 1.1 1.1 2.4 0.8* 1.0*
District of Columbia 0.6 1.3 -1.0 1.3 0.6*
Florida 1.3 1.2 3.1 0.5 1.0*
Georgia 0.0 -0.1 0.0 -0.1* 0.0*
Hawaii -0.2 -1.0 0.1* -0.0* -0.3
Idaho 0.0 -0.1 0.6* 0.5 0.0*
Illinois 0.3 0.2 2.6 -1.4 -0.1
Indiana -0.8 -0.6 -0.2 -1.6* -0.7*
Iowa -0.2 -0.3 1.2* -0.6* -0.2*
Kansas 0.1 -0.1 0.7* -0.2* 0.1*
Kentucky -0.4 0.5 -1.2 -0.9* -0.3*
Louisiana 0.0 0.0 -0.4 0.1 0.0*
Maine -0.1 -0.2 0.3* -0.4* -0.1*
Maryland 1.0 0.4 2.8 0.6* 0.9*
Massachusetts 0.4 0.0 0.6 1.7 1.0
Michigan -0.2 -0.7 2.6 -0.2 -0.1*
Minnesota 1.2 1.1 2.8* 1.1* 1.1*
Mississippi 0.1 -0.1 0.5 -0.2* 0.1*
Missouri 0.0 -0.1 0.8 -0.3* 0.0*
Montana 0.5 0.7 1.3* 0.3* 0.5*
Nebraska 0.1 0.5 0.7* -0.5* 0.1*
Nevada -0.2 -0.4 1.7 -0.2 -0.4
New Hampshire 0.1 0.1 0.6* -0.1* 0.1*
New Jersey -0.1 -0.2 -1.1 0.7 -0.3
New Mexico 0.7 0.9 0.8* 1.6 0.6*
New York 0.5 0.3 0.6 0.7 0.6
North Carolina -0.1 -0.2 0.2 -0.7 -0.0*
North Dakota -0.1 -0.1 0.2* -0.4* -0.1*
Ohio -1.0 -0.5 -4.1 -1.2* -0.9*
Oklahoma 1.0 0.6 3.0* 0.3 0.9*
Oregon 0.7 0.4 1.8* 1.0 0.8*
Pennsylvania 0.2 -0.0 1.1 -0.5 0.2*
Rhode Island -0.2 -1.3 0.3* 0.5 -0.2*
South Carolina 0.3 -0.1 1.4 -0.0* 0.3*
South Dakota 0.2 -0.2 0.6* 0.1* 0.2*
Tennessee 0.0 0.1 0.6 -0.2* 0.0*
Texas 0.2 0.5 0.6 0.0 -0.9
Utah 0.4 0.7 1.1* 0.1 0.3*
Vermont 0.1 0.0 0.6* -0.1* 0.1*
Virginia 0.7 0.4 1.7 0.5 0.7*
Washington 0.9 0.8 1.9* -0.9 1.3
West Virginia 0.4 0.2 2.0* 0.1* 0.4*
Wisconsin 0.3 0.2 0.8* -0.1* 0.3*
Wyoming 0.1 0.4 0.6* -0.3 0.1*
Economic Policy Institute

Notes: Unemployment rates for each demographic group are produced from a weighted average of state and national unemployment trends. Those states and demographic groups with typically small sample sizes require a heavier weighting of national-level data to supplement their analysis, and are noted as such with an asterisk (*). See methodological note for more detail. 

Source: EPI analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) data and Current Population Survey (CPS) data.

Copy the code below to embed this chart on your website.

Table 2

Black-white and Hispanic-white state unemployment rate ratios, 2026 Q2

State Black-white ratio Hispanic-white ratio
United States 2.2 1.5
Alabama 2.4 1.7*
Alaska 2.1* 1.4*
Arizona 2.2* 1.8
Arkansas 2.6 1.6*
California 1.9 1.2
Colorado 1.7* 1.6
Connecticut 2.6* 1.8
Delaware 2.0 1.6*
District of Columbia 2.6 2.2
Florida 2.2 1.0
Georgia 2.1 1.6*
Hawaii 1.8* 1.5*
Idaho 1.8* 1.3
Illinois 2.5 1.5
Indiana 2.4 1.4*
Iowa 2.6* 1.5*
Kansas 2.1* 1.5*
Kentucky 2.1 1.4*
Louisiana 2.1 1.9
Maine 1.8* 1.2*
Maryland 2.6 1.7*
Massachusetts 1.8 1.8
Michigan 3.0 1.6
Minnesota 2.1* 1.4*
Mississippi 2.0 1.6*
Missouri 2.3 1.5*
Montana 1.7* 1.2*
Nebraska 1.8* 1.4*
Nevada 1.8 1.2
New Hampshire 1.8* 1.2*
New Jersey 1.8 1.4
New Mexico 2.0* 1.6
New York 2.4 1.9
North Carolina 2.2 1.0
North Dakota 2.3* 1.6*
Ohio 1.8 1.4*
Oklahoma 2.1* 1.1
Oregon 2.0* 1.5
Pennsylvania 2.1 2.4
Rhode Island 2.4* 2.1
South Carolina 3.0 1.9*
South Dakota 2.7* 1.8*
Tennessee 2.4 1.4*
Texas 2.1 1.4
Utah 1.7* 1.3
Vermont 1.8* 1.3*
Virginia 2.7 1.5
Washington 1.8* 1.2
West Virginia 2.0* 1.2*
Wisconsin 2.7* 1.7*
Wyoming 1.7* 1.3
Economic Policy Institute

Notes: Unemployment rates for each demographic group are produced from a weighted average of state and national unemployment trends. Those states and demographic groups with typically small sample sizes require a heavier weighting of national-level data to supplement their analysis, and are noted as such with an asterisk (*). See methodological note for more detail. 

Source: EPI analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) data and Current Population Survey (CPS) data.

Copy the code below to embed this chart on your website.

Methodology

The unemployment rate estimates in this report are based on the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) and the Current Population Survey (CPS) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The overall state unemployment rates are taken directly from the LAUS. CPS 12-month ratios are applied to LAUS data to calculate the rates by race and ethnicity. For each state subgroup, we calculate the unemployment rate using the past 12 months of CPS data. We then find the ratio of this subgroup rate to the state (or national) unemployment rate using the same period of CPS data. This gives us an estimate of how the subgroup compares with the state overall.

We also leverage national-level data to construct weighted unemployment ratios, utilizing a greater share of national-level data for states with a high amount of volatility in race/ethnicity sample sizes. This allows for more consistent reporting of unemployment rates for Black, Hispanic, and AAPI workers. For more detail on our methodology, see the technical report. 

Notes

1. Marokey Sawo and Daniel Perez, Detailing the New Methodology Behind EPI’s Quarterly State Unemployment Rates by Race and Ethnicity Series, Economic Policy Institute, December 2022.

Read more: