Economic Indicators

State Jobs Picture

Updated March 2019

The unemployment rate and the change in the number of jobs are important indicators of state labor market health. The unemployment rate is the share of the state’s labor force that is not currently employed and is actively looking for work. Healthy job growth is growth that provides regular employment for all individuals wanting a job. 

The map below shows the current unemployment rate in each state, and the percent change in the number of jobs in each state over the preceding 12 months. Clicking on a state will also show the change in that state’s unemployment rate or change in the number of jobs over the last 3 months, 12 months, and since December 2007—the peak of the previous business cycle.

February 2023

Current state unemployment rate and percent change in total number of jobs over last 12 months

State Current unemployment rate Change in unemployment rate in last 3 months Change in unemployment rate in last 12 months Change in unemployment rate since February 2020 State unemployment rate raking from lowest to highest Percent change in number of jobs in last 12 months Change in number of jobs in last 12 months Percent change in numbers of jobs in last 3 months Change in number of jobs in last 3 months Percent change in number of jobs since February 2020 Change in number of jobs since February 2020
Alabama 2.5% -0.1% -0.1% -0.9% 6 2.0% 41500 0.4% 8800 2.5% 51600
Alaska 3.8% 0.1% -0.9% -1.4% 37 3.1% 9700 0.6% 1900 -1.0% -3200
Arizona 3.7% -0.3% 0.1% -1.3% 35 2.6% 78800 0.8% 23900 5.1% 151600
Arkansas 3.2% -0.3% 0.0% -0.4% 25 2.5% 32500 0.4% 6000 4.5% 58400
California 4.3% 0.2% -0.4% 0.2% 44 2.8% 486500 0.4% 79700 1.6% 277700
Colorado 2.9% 0.1% -0.7% 0.1% 17 1.6% 46700 0.4% 11000 2.4% 68100
Connecticut 4.0% 0.0% -0.6% 0.6% 41 1.7% 28700 0.8% 12900 -0.7% -11500
Delaware 4.6% -0.1% 0.1% 0.9% 48 2.3% 10800 0.6% 2900 2.3% 10800
Washington D.C. 4.7% 0.5% -0.9% -0.7% 50 1.7% 13000 0.1% 900 -4.3% -34600
Florida 2.6% -0.1% -0.7% -0.1% 9 4.6% 427400 1.0% 100200 6.7% 606400
Georgia 3.1% 0.0% 0.1% -0.5% 22 2.8% 135100 0.6% 27100 4.5% 209400
Hawaii 3.6% -0.1% 0.4% 1.4% 31 4.0% 24400 0.7% 4300 -4.6% -30400
Idaho 2.6% -0.2% 0.0% -0.4% 8 3.0% 24900 1.1% 9200 9.2% 70900
Illinois 4.5% -0.1% -0.1% 0.7% 46 2.4% 144900 0.3% 18200 -0.5% -30000
Indiana 3.1% -0.1% 0.3% -0.3% 21 2.3% 73600 0.3% 8200 2.2% 69500
Iowa 2.9% -0.2% 0.4% 0.3% 16 1.5% 22800 0.6% 9100 0.0% -200
Kansas 2.9% 0.0% 0.5% -0.2% 15 2.9% 41300 0.5% 7200 1.3% 18500
Kentucky 3.9% 0.0% 0.0% -0.2% 39 2.2% 43000 0.8% 15700 1.7% 32500
Louisiana 3.6% 0.0% -0.3% -1.6% 30 1.9% 35500 0.6% 11600 -2.4% -47300
Maine 2.8% -0.3% -0.4% 0.0% 13 2.0% 12500 0.2% 1400 1.0% 6700
Maryland 2.9% -0.2% -0.5% -1.3% 14 0.7% 18200 0.3% 7200 -2.0% -56700
Massachusetts 3.7% 0.0% -0.2% 0.8% 34 2.5% 91700 0.4% 15700 -0.1% -4300
Michigan 4.3% -0.1% 0.1% 0.5% 43 2.1% 91700 0.6% 27000 -0.8% -36300
Minnesota 3.0% 0.0% 0.4% -0.9% 19 2.5% 73600 0.6% 16800 -0.4% -12500
Mississippi 3.7% -0.4% -0.3% -2.0% 33 1.5% 17600 0.5% 6400 1.5% 17300
Missouri 2.6% -0.1% -0.1% -0.7% 7 2.0% 58000 0.2% 4900 1.3% 36600
Montana 2.4% -0.3% -0.1% -1.3% 5 2.5% 12600 0.9% 4800 5.9% 28800
Nebraska 2.3% -0.4% 0.3% -0.7% 3 2.1% 21700 0.6% 6200 1.0% 10500
Nevada 5.5% 0.0% 0.2% 1.5% 51 5.1% 74700 0.9% 13200 6.1% 88100
New Hampshire 2.7% -0.2% 0.5% 0.0% 11 2.7% 18400 0.8% 5600 1.5% 10100
New Jersey 3.5% 0.2% -1.1% 0.0% 27 2.5% 105400 0.7% 29700 2.2% 93000
New Mexico 3.6% 0.1% -1.4% -1.8% 29 2.6% 22100 0.9% 7300 0.1% 1100
New York 4.2% 0.1% -0.5% 0.3% 42 2.9% 269400 0.6% 54500 -1.6% -161500
North Carolina 3.6% -0.3% 0.2% -0.1% 28 3.0% 144100 0.8% 39100 5.7% 264200
North Dakota 2.1% 0.0% -0.1% -0.1% 2 2.5% 10500 0.9% 3900 -1.5% -6400
Ohio 3.9% -0.2% -0.1% -0.7% 38 1.4% 77800 0.4% 21800 -0.7% -38300
Oklahoma 3.0% -0.2% 0.2% -0.2% 18 2.7% 45400 0.5% 8300 1.5% 25300
Oregon 4.7% -0.1% 1.0% 1.3% 49 3.0% 58800 0.8% 15100 0.9% 17400
Pennsylvania 4.4% 0.0% 0.0% -0.6% 45 2.8% 164800 0.7% 41500 0.0% -1300
Rhode Island 3.1% -0.2% -0.1% -0.6% 20 1.9% 9400 0.6% 3100 -1.3% -6800
South Carolina 3.2% -0.1% -0.1% 0.3% 24 2.4% 53900 0.7% 15800 3.7% 80300
South Dakota 2.1% -0.1% 0.2% -0.5% 1 2.3% 10500 0.5% 2500 3.8% 16700
Tennessee 3.5% 0.0% 0.1% -0.1% 26 3.2% 103300 0.7% 23300 5.0% 156700
Texas 4.0% 0.2% -0.1% 0.5% 40 4.6% 611400 1.1% 144100 6.7% 865700
Utah 2.4% 0.0% 0.2% -0.2% 4 3.2% 52600 1.0% 16600 8.8% 137800
Vermont 2.8% -0.3% 0.4% 0.2% 12 2.2% 6500 1.2% 3600 -2.6% -8200
Virginia 3.2% 0.0% 0.3% 0.5% 23 2.4% 96100 0.6% 22900 0.9% 38500
Washington 4.6% 0.0% 0.6% 0.7% 47 3.5% 122500 1.0% 35700 2.7% 96300
West Virginia 3.7% -0.4% 0.0% -1.4% 32 0.4% 2500 -0.4% -3000 -3.0% -21300
Wisconsin 2.7% -0.3% -0.1% -0.3% 10 1.7% 50300 0.3% 9400 0.1% 1500
Wyoming 3.8% -0.1% 0.4% -1.1% 36 2.1% 6000 0.4% 1200 -0.4% -1200

Jobs refers to the total number of jobs, part-time or full-time, in nonfarm establishments.

Source: EPI analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics' Local Area Unemployment Statistics data.

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

When workers lose a job or cannot find work, they and their families lose wages and benefits, and the adverse effects may last a very long time as career trajectories are interrupted. When more workers are unemployed, it also depresses wage growth for those workers who have a job, since employers have little need to raise pay to attract or retain staff. Although the country remains on a positive trend of job growth and falling unemployment, many states still have rates of job growth that are leaving many unable to find work and paychecks falling behind. To ensure workers in every community have access to jobs and rising pay, policymakers should prioritize a full employment agenda.

Data come from the State and Regional Employment report, released monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Explore the map to see how these indicators differ across the country and read EPI’s recent research analyzing jobs and unemployment.