State Employment and Unemployment Summary

For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Friday, September 18, 2026                                 USDL-26-1515

Technical information: 
 Employment:    (202) 691-6559  *  sminfo@bls.gov    *  www.bls.gov/sae   
 Unemployment:  (202) 691-6392  *  lausinfo@bls.gov  *  www.bls.gov/lau 

Media contact:  (202) 691-5902  *  PressOffice@bls.gov


                      STATE EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT - AUGUST 2026


Unemployment rates were lower in August in 8 states and the District of Columbia and stable in
42 states, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Fourteen states and the
District had jobless rate decreases from a year earlier, 10 states had increases, and 26
states had little change. The national unemployment rate, 4.1 percent, was unchanged over the
month and was little changed from August 2025.

In August 2026, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 4 states and was essentially unchanged
in 46 states and the District of Columbia. Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased
in 8 states, decreased in the District, and was essentially unchanged in 42 states.

This news release presents statistics from two monthly programs. The civilian labor force and
unemployment data are modeled based largely on a survey of households. These data pertain to
people by where they reside. The employment data are from an establishment survey that
measures nonfarm employment, hours, and earnings by industry. These data pertain to jobs on
payrolls defined by where the establishments are located. For more information about the
concepts and statistical methodologies used by these two programs, see the Technical Note.

Unemployment

South Dakota had the lowest jobless rate in August, 2.0 percent, followed by North Dakota, 2.2
percent. The rate in Ohio (3.3 percent) set a new series low. (All state series begin in
1976.) The District of Columbia had the highest unemployment rate, 5.7 percent. In total, 19
states had unemployment rates lower than the U.S. figure of 4.1 percent, 6 states and the
District had higher rates, and 25 states had rates that were not appreciably different from
that of the nation. (See tables A and 1.)

In August, eight states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rates decreases:
Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and the District (-0.2 percentage point each)
and Florida, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington (-0.1 point each). Forty-two states had
jobless rates that were not notably different from those of a month earlier, though some had
changes that were at least as large numerically as the significant changes. (See table B.)

Fourteen states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate decreases from August 2025,
the largest of which were in New Jersey (-1.2 percentage points) and Ohio (-1.1 points). Ten
states had over-the-year rate increases, the largest of which were in Connecticut (+1.0
percentage point) and Oklahoma (+0.9 point). Twenty-six states had jobless rates that were not
notably different from those of a year earlier, though some had changes that were at least as
large numerically as the significant changes. (See table C.)

Nonfarm Payroll Employment

In August 2026, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 4 states and was essentially unchanged
in 46 states and the District of Columbia. The job gains occurred in California (+39,400, or
+0.2 percent), Wisconsin (+11,800, or +0.4 percent), South Carolina (+10,800, or +0.4 percent),
and New Mexico (+5,500, or +0.6 percent). (See tables D and 3.)

Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 8 states, decreased in the District of
Columbia, and was essentially unchanged in 42 states. The largest job gains occurred in Texas
(+159,400), California (+138,500), and North Carolina (+65,600). The largest percentage
increases occurred in Louisiana, New Mexico, and South Carolina (+1.6 percent each). The only
job loss occurred in the District (-27,000, or -3.6 percent). (See table E.)

_____________
The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for August 2026 is scheduled
to be published on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). The State Employment
and Unemployment news release for September 2026 is scheduled to be published on Tuesday,
October 20, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). 


Table A. States with unemployment rates significantly different
from that of the U.S., August 2026, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------
                State                |          Rate(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------
United States (1) ...................|           4.1
                                     |
Alabama .............................|           3.4
Arizona .............................|           4.9
California ..........................|           5.1
Connecticut .........................|           5.1
District of Columbia ................|           5.7
Georgia .............................|           3.2
Hawaii ..............................|           2.7
Indiana .............................|           3.3
Iowa ................................|           3.2
Maine ...............................|           3.2
                                     |
Michigan ............................|           5.0
Mississippi .........................|           3.4
Montana .............................|           3.2
Nebraska ............................|           2.9
New Hampshire .......................|           2.8
North Carolina ......................|           3.5
North Dakota ........................|           2.2
Ohio ................................|           3.3
Oregon ..............................|           5.1
South Dakota ........................|           2.0
                                     |
Tennessee ...........................|           3.4
Utah ................................|           3.5
Vermont .............................|           2.6
Washington ..........................|           4.9
Wisconsin ...........................|           3.2
Wyoming .............................|           3.0
--------------------------------------------------------------
   (1) Data are not preliminary.
   (p) = preliminary.


Table B. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from July 2026 to August 2026, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                |          Rate         |
                                |-----------|-----------| Over-the-month
             State              |   July    |  August   |    change(p)
                                |   2026    |  2026(p)  |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
District of Columbia ...........|     5.9   |     5.7   |      -0.2
Florida ........................|     4.6   |     4.5   |       -.1
Louisiana ......................|     4.4   |     4.2   |       -.2
Maryland .......................|     4.2   |     4.1   |       -.1
Mississippi ....................|     3.6   |     3.4   |       -.2
Nevada .........................|     5.0   |     4.8   |       -.2
Pennsylvania ...................|     3.9   |     3.7   |       -.2
Virginia .......................|     3.7   |     3.6   |       -.1
Washington .....................|     5.0   |     4.9   |       -.1
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
   (p) = preliminary.


Table C. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from August 2025 to August 2026, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                |          Rate         |
                                |-----------|-----------|  Over-the-year
             State              |  August   |  August   |    change(p)
                                |   2025    |  2026(p)  |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama ........................|     2.8   |     3.4   |       0.6
Arizona ........................|     4.4   |     4.9   |        .5
California .....................|     5.5   |     5.1   |       -.4
Connecticut ....................|     4.1   |     5.1   |       1.0
District of Columbia ...........|     6.5   |     5.7   |       -.8
Florida ........................|     4.0   |     4.5   |        .5
Hawaii .........................|     2.1   |     2.7   |        .6
Illinois .......................|     4.3   |     4.7   |        .4
Indiana ........................|     3.7   |     3.3   |       -.4
Iowa ...........................|     3.5   |     3.2   |       -.3
                                |           |           |
Minnesota ......................|     3.9   |     4.4   |        .5
Missouri .......................|     4.0   |     3.5   |       -.5
New Hampshire ..................|     3.1   |     2.8   |       -.3
New Jersey .....................|     5.5   |     4.3   |      -1.2
New Mexico .....................|     4.1   |     4.7   |        .6
New York .......................|     4.5   |     4.3   |       -.2
North Carolina .................|     3.9   |     3.5   |       -.4
North Dakota ...................|     2.6   |     2.2   |       -.4
Ohio ...........................|     4.4   |     3.3   |      -1.1
Oklahoma .......................|     3.4   |     4.3   |        .9
                                |           |           |
Pennsylvania ...................|     4.4   |     3.7   |       -.7
Rhode Island ...................|     4.3   |     3.7   |       -.6
South Carolina .................|     4.6   |     4.1   |       -.5
Texas ..........................|     4.2   |     4.4   |        .2
Wyoming ........................|     3.3   |     3.0   |       -.3
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
   (p) = preliminary.


Table D. States with statistically significant employment changes from
July 2026 to August 2026, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              |             |             | Over-the-month change(p)
            State             |     July    |   August    |---------------------------
                              |     2026    |   2026(p)   |    Level    |   Percent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
California ...................|  18,137,800 |  18,177,200 |      39,400 |      0.2
New Mexico ...................|     901,900 |     907,400 |       5,500 |       .6
South Carolina ...............|   2,415,500 |   2,426,300 |      10,800 |       .4
Wisconsin ....................|   3,045,500 |   3,057,300 |      11,800 |       .4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   (p) = preliminary.


Table E. States with statistically significant employment changes from
August 2025 to August 2026, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              |             |             |  Over-the-year change(p)
            State             |   August    |   August    |---------------------------
                              |    2025     |   2026(p)   |    Level    |   Percent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
California ...................|  18,038,700 |  18,177,200 |     138,500 |      0.8
District of Columbia .........|     746,900 |     719,900 |     -27,000 |     -3.6
Louisiana ....................|   1,989,900 |   2,022,000 |      32,100 |      1.6
Minnesota ....................|   3,024,700 |   3,068,600 |      43,900 |      1.5
Missouri .....................|   2,981,600 |   3,015,700 |      34,100 |      1.1
New Mexico ...................|     892,900 |     907,400 |      14,500 |      1.6
North Carolina ...............|   5,062,800 |   5,128,400 |      65,600 |      1.3
South Carolina ...............|   2,387,700 |   2,426,300 |      38,600 |      1.6
Texas ........................|  14,309,900 |  14,469,300 |     159,400 |      1.1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   (p) = preliminary.