How Is State Unemployment in the U.S.?

According to information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, during the ninth month of the year, the national unemployment rate stood at 4.1 percent, 0.3 percentage points higher than in September 2023.The report details that unemployment rates were higher in 5 states, lower in 1 state, and stable in 44 states.In September, five states recorded increases in their unemployment rates, with the largest increases in South Carolina and Utah, each up by 0.2 percentage points. Connecticut saw the only decrease in the rate, down by 0.2 percentage points, while forty-four states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rates that were not notably different from the previous month.

South Dakota had the lowest unemployment rate in September, at 2.0 percent, followed by Vermont at 2.2 percent, and North Dakota at 2.3 percent. The District of Columbia had the highest unemployment rate, 5.7 percent, followed by Nevada at 5.6 percent.Compared to the previous year, twenty-two states and the District had increases in their unemployment rates, 6 states had decreases, and 22 states saw little change.

Nonfarm Payroll EmploymentNonfarm payroll employment increased in 5 states and the District of Columbia and remained essentially unchanged in 45 states in September 2024. The largest job gains were recorded in New Jersey (+19,200), Colorado (+12,700), and Arizona (+11,200). The largest percentage increase occurred in Idaho (+0.7 percent), followed by the District and Rhode Island (+0.6 percent each).

Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 30 states and remained essentially unchanged in 20 states and the District of Columbia. The largest job gains were recorded in Texas (+327,400), California (+265,300), and Florida (+204,700). The largest percentage increases occurred in Idaho and Montana (+3.4 percent each), followed by South Carolina (+3.3 percent).

The informational document specifies that employment data comes from an establishment survey that measures nonfarm employment, hours, and wages by industry, and the information refers to jobs on payrolls, defined according to the location of the establishments.

For more information on labor topics in the United States, you can visit the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website at www.bls.gov/LAU.