For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Tuesday, June 24, 2025 USDL-25-1059
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 -- MAY 2025
Unemployment rates were higher in May in 3 states, lower in 2 states, and stable in 45 states
and the District of Columbia, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Twenty-four
states and the District had jobless rate increases from a year earlier, 4 states had decreases,
and 22 states had little change. The national unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.2 percent
but was 0.2 percentage point higher than in May 2024.
In May 2025, nonfarm payroll employment was essentially unchanged in all 50 states and the
District of Columbia. Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 18 states and was
essentially unchanged in 32 states and the District.
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 May, 1.8 percent. The District of Columbia had the
highest unemployment rate, 5.9 percent, followed by Nevada, 5.5 percent, and Michigan, 5.4 percent.
In total, 21 states had unemployment rates lower than the U.S. figure of 4.2 percent, 4 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 May, three states had unemployment rate increases: Massachusetts (+0.2 percentage point) and Iowa
and Virginia (+0.1 point each). Two states had rate decreases: Indiana and New York (-0.2 percentage
point each). The remaining 45 states and the District of Columbia 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.)
Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate increases from May 2024, the
largest of which was in Mississippi (+1.2 percentage points). Four states had over-the-year rate
decreases, the largest of which was in Indiana (-0.4 percentage point), followed by Illinois, New
York, and West Virginia (-0.3 point each). Twenty-two 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 May 2025, nonfarm payroll employment was essentially unchanged in all 50 states and the District of
Columbia. (See table 3.)
Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 18 states and was essentially unchanged in
32 states and the District of Columbia. The largest job gains occurred in Texas (+213,300), Florida
(+148,700), and New York (+100,400). The largest percentage increases occurred in South Carolina
(+2.7 percent), Idaho (+2.6 percent), and Utah (+2.4 percent). (See table D.)
_____________
The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for May is scheduled to be released
on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). The State Employment and Unemployment news release
for June is scheduled to be released on Friday, July 18, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).
____________________________________________________________________________________________
| |
| Minor Corrections to Some Household Survey Estimates for April 2025 |
| |
| Corrections were made to address minor errors in some Current Population Survey (CPS) |
| estimates for April 2025. These errors were associated with the introduction of a |
| redesigned household survey sample, and the impact of the correction was negligible. |
| The April revised state estimates in tables 1 and 2 of this news release reflect these |
| corrected CPS inputs. More information is available at |
| www.bls.gov/bls/errata/cps-corrections-april-2025.htm. |
|____________________________________________________________________________________________|
Table A. States with unemployment rates significantly different
from that of the U.S., May 2025, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------
State | Rate(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------
United States (1) ...................| 4.2
|
Alabama .............................| 3.3
California ..........................| 5.3
District of Columbia ................| 5.9
Florida .............................| 3.7
Georgia .............................| 3.5
Hawaii ..............................| 2.8
Idaho ...............................| 3.6
Iowa ................................| 3.6
Maine ...............................| 3.4
Maryland ............................| 3.2
|
Michigan ............................| 5.4
Minnesota ...........................| 3.3
Montana .............................| 2.8
Nebraska ............................| 3.0
Nevada ..............................| 5.5
New Hampshire .......................| 3.1
North Dakota ........................| 2.5
Ohio ................................| 4.9
Oklahoma ............................| 3.1
South Dakota ........................| 1.8
|
Tennessee ...........................| 3.5
Utah ................................| 3.2
Vermont .............................| 2.6
Virginia ............................| 3.4
Wisconsin ...........................| 3.3
Wyoming .............................| 3.3
--------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Data are not preliminary.
(p) = preliminary.
Table B. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from April 2025 to May 2025, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rate |
|-----------|-----------| Over-the-month
State | April | May | change(p)
| 2025 | 2025(p) |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana ........................| 3.9 | 3.7 | -0.2
Iowa ...........................| 3.5 | 3.6 | .1
Massachusetts ..................| 4.6 | 4.8 | .2
New York .......................| 4.2 | 4.0 | -.2
Virginia .......................| 3.3 | 3.4 | .1
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
Table C. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from May 2024 to May 2025, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rate |
|-----------|-----------| Over-the-year
State | May | May | change(p)
| 2024 | 2025(p) |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama ........................| 2.9 | 3.3 | 0.4
Arizona ........................| 3.4 | 4.1 | .7
Arkansas .......................| 3.4 | 3.7 | .3
California .....................| 5.2 | 5.3 | .1
Colorado .......................| 4.1 | 4.8 | .7
Connecticut ....................| 3.1 | 3.8 | .7
District of Columbia ...........| 5.2 | 5.9 | .7
Florida ........................| 3.3 | 3.7 | .4
Illinois .......................| 5.1 | 4.8 | -.3
Indiana ........................| 4.1 | 3.7 | -.4
| | |
Iowa ...........................| 2.9 | 3.6 | .7
Kansas .........................| 3.5 | 3.8 | .3
Louisiana ......................| 4.1 | 4.5 | .4
Maine ..........................| 2.9 | 3.4 | .5
Massachusetts ..................| 4.0 | 4.8 | .8
Michigan .......................| 4.5 | 5.4 | .9
Mississippi ....................| 2.8 | 4.0 | 1.2
Nebraska .......................| 2.7 | 3.0 | .3
New Hampshire ..................| 2.5 | 3.1 | .6
New Jersey .....................| 4.5 | 4.8 | .3
| | |
New York .......................| 4.3 | 4.0 | -.3
Ohio ...........................| 4.2 | 4.9 | .7
Oregon .........................| 4.1 | 4.8 | .7
Pennsylvania ...................| 3.6 | 3.9 | .3
Rhode Island ...................| 4.3 | 4.9 | .6
Vermont ........................| 2.2 | 2.6 | .4
Virginia .......................| 2.8 | 3.4 | .6
West Virginia ..................| 4.1 | 3.8 | -.3
Wisconsin ......................| 2.9 | 3.3 | .4
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
Table D. States with statistically significant employment changes from May 2024 to
May 2025, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | | Over-the-year change(p)
State | May | May |---------------------------
| 2024 | 2025(p) | Level | Percent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama ......................| 2,189,900 | 2,215,800 | 25,900 | 1.2
Arkansas .....................| 1,362,300 | 1,380,600 | 18,300 | 1.3
Florida ......................| 9,938,000 | 10,086,700 | 148,700 | 1.5
Hawaii .......................| 638,200 | 652,100 | 13,900 | 2.2
Idaho ........................| 861,000 | 883,400 | 22,400 | 2.6
Michigan .....................| 4,489,400 | 4,538,300 | 48,900 | 1.1
Minnesota ....................| 3,012,000 | 3,056,000 | 44,000 | 1.5
New Hampshire ................| 698,800 | 711,100 | 12,300 | 1.8
New Mexico ...................| 885,400 | 902,900 | 17,500 | 2.0
New York .....................| 9,869,200 | 9,969,600 | 100,400 | 1.0
| | | |
North Carolina ...............| 5,024,000 | 5,091,900 | 67,900 | 1.4
Ohio .........................| 5,649,900 | 5,705,600 | 55,700 | 1.0
Oklahoma .....................| 1,777,000 | 1,801,600 | 24,600 | 1.4
Pennsylvania .................| 6,134,200 | 6,223,400 | 89,200 | 1.5
South Carolina ...............| 2,350,600 | 2,413,100 | 62,500 | 2.7
Texas ........................| 14,127,500 | 14,340,800 | 213,300 | 1.5
Utah .........................| 1,739,400 | 1,781,500 | 42,100 | 2.4
Virginia .....................| 4,226,700 | 4,276,100 | 49,400 | 1.2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
United States Department of Labor
