For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Friday, August 21, 2026 USDL-26-1412
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 - JULY 2026
Unemployment rates were lower in July in 10 states and stable in 40 states and the District of
Columbia, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Twelve states had jobless rate
increases from a year earlier, 10 states and the District had decreases, and 28 states had little
change. The national unemployment rate, 4.1 percent, changed little both over the month and over
the year.
In July, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 1 state, decreased in 1 state, and was essentially
unchanged in 48 states and the District of Columbia. Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment
increased in 6 states, decreased in 1 state and the District, and was essentially unchanged in 43
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 July, 2.0 percent. The District of Columbia had the
highest unemployment rate, 5.9 percent. In total, 16 states had unemployment rates lower than the
U.S. figure of 4.1 percent, 9 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 July, 10 states had unemployment rate decreases: Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode
Island, South Carolina, and Washington (-0.2 percentage point each) and Delaware, Florida, and
North Dakota (-0.1 point each). Forty 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.)
Twelve states had unemployment rate increases from July 2025, the largest of which were in
Connecticut (+1.3 percentage points) and Oklahoma (+1.0 point). Ten states and the District of
Columbia had over-the-year rate decreases, the largest of which were in New Jersey and Ohio
(-1.1 percentage points each). Twenty-eight 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 July 2026, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 1 state, decreased in 1 state, and was
essentially unchanged in 48 states and the District of Columbia. The only job gain occurred in
Maryland (+11,700, or +0.4 percent). Employment decreased in New Jersey (-25,600, or
-0.6 percent). (See tables D and 3.)
Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 6 states, decreased in 1 state and the
District of Columbia, and was essentially unchanged in 43 states. The largest job gains occurred
in Texas (+165,600), California (+112,700), and North Carolina (+51,600). The largest percentage
increase occurred in Minnesota (+1.4 percent), followed by Louisiana and South Carolina (+1.3
percent each). The job losses occurred in Virginia (-47,900, or -1.1 percent) and the District
(-31,500, or -4.2 percent). (See table E.)
_____________
The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for July 2026 is scheduled to be
published on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). The State Employment and
Unemployment news release for August 2026 is scheduled to be published on Friday, September 18,
2026, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
| |
| 2026 Preliminary Benchmark Revision to Establishment Survey Data |
| to be Published on August 28, 2026 |
| |
| Each year, Current Employment Statistics (CES) estimates are benchmarked to comprehensive |
| counts of employment from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW). These counts |
| are derived from state unemployment insurance (UI) tax records that nearly all employers |
| are required to file. As part of the benchmark process for benchmark year 2026, |
| census-derived employment counts replace CES payroll employment estimates for all 50 |
| states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and about 430 |
| metropolitan areas and divisions for the period from April 2025 to September 2026. |
| |
| The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) will release first-quarter 2026 data from the QCEW on |
| August 28, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). At the same time, BLS will publish preliminary |
| benchmark revisions for March 2026 for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and select |
| metropolitan areas at the total nonfarm level. The final benchmark revisions for all state |
| and metropolitan area series will be issued with the publication of the January 2027 State |
| Employment and Unemployment news release in March 2027. |
|_____________________________________________________________________________________________|
Table A. States with unemployment rates significantly different
from that of the U.S., July 2026, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------
State | Rate(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------
United States (1) ...................| 4.1
|
Alabama .............................| 3.4
Arizona .............................| 4.9
California ..........................| 5.1
Connecticut .........................| 5.2
District of Columbia ................| 5.9
Florida .............................| 4.6
Georgia .............................| 3.3
Hawaii ..............................| 2.7
Illinois ............................| 4.9
Indiana .............................| 3.3
|
Iowa ................................| 3.2
Maine ...............................| 3.1
Michigan ............................| 4.9
Montana .............................| 3.2
Nebraska ............................| 2.9
Nevada ..............................| 5.0
New Hampshire .......................| 2.8
North Dakota ........................| 2.2
Ohio ................................| 3.4
Oregon ..............................| 5.2
|
South Dakota ........................| 2.0
Tennessee ...........................| 3.4
Vermont .............................| 2.6
Washington ..........................| 5.0
Wisconsin ...........................| 3.3
Wyoming .............................| 3.0
--------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Data are not preliminary.
(p) = preliminary.
Table B. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from June 2026 to July 2026, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rate |
|-----------|-----------| Over-the-month
State | June | July | change(p)
| 2026 | 2026(p) |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Delaware .......................| 4.9 | 4.8 | -0.1
Florida ........................| 4.7 | 4.6 | -.1
Illinois .......................| 5.1 | 4.9 | -.2
New York .......................| 4.6 | 4.4 | -.2
North Dakota ...................| 2.3 | 2.2 | -.1
Ohio ...........................| 3.6 | 3.4 | -.2
Pennsylvania ...................| 4.1 | 3.9 | -.2
Rhode Island ...................| 4.1 | 3.9 | -.2
South Carolina .................| 4.4 | 4.2 | -.2
Washington .....................| 5.2 | 5.0 | -.2
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
Table C. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from July 2025 to July 2026, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rate |
|-----------|-----------| Over-the-year
State | July | July | change(p)
| 2025 | 2026(p) |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama ........................| 2.8 | 3.4 | 0.6
Arizona ........................| 4.3 | 4.9 | .6
California .....................| 5.5 | 5.1 | -.4
Connecticut ....................| 3.9 | 5.2 | 1.3
District of Columbia ...........| 6.3 | 5.9 | -.4
Florida ........................| 3.9 | 4.6 | .7
Hawaii .........................| 2.2 | 2.7 | .5
Illinois .......................| 4.3 | 4.9 | .6
Indiana ........................| 3.7 | 3.3 | -.4
Iowa ...........................| 3.5 | 3.2 | -.3
| | |
Minnesota ......................| 3.8 | 4.3 | .5
Missouri .......................| 4.0 | 3.6 | -.4
New Hampshire ..................| 3.1 | 2.8 | -.3
New Jersey .....................| 5.5 | 4.4 | -1.1
New Mexico .....................| 4.0 | 4.8 | .8
North Carolina .................| 3.9 | 3.6 | -.3
North Dakota ...................| 2.6 | 2.2 | -.4
Ohio ...........................| 4.5 | 3.4 | -1.1
Oklahoma .......................| 3.3 | 4.3 | 1.0
Pennsylvania ...................| 4.4 | 3.9 | -.5
| | |
Texas ..........................| 4.2 | 4.5 | .3
Virginia .......................| 3.3 | 3.7 | .4
Washington .....................| 4.6 | 5.0 | .4
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
Table D. States with statistically significant employment changes from
June 2026 to July 2026, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | | Over-the-month change(p)
State | June | July |---------------------------
| 2026 | 2026(p) | Level | Percent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maryland .....................| 2,804,200 | 2,815,900 | 11,700 | 0.4
New Jersey ...................| 4,383,200 | 4,357,600 | -25,600 | -.6
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
Table E. States with statistically significant employment changes from
July 2025 to July 2026, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | | Over-the-year change(p)
State | July | July |---------------------------
| 2025 | 2026(p) | Level | Percent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
California ...................| 18,020,300 | 18,133,000 | 112,700 | 0.6
District of Columbia .........| 753,900 | 722,400 | -31,500 | -4.2
Louisiana ....................| 1,989,100 | 2,015,900 | 26,800 | 1.3
Minnesota ....................| 3,021,700 | 3,063,600 | 41,900 | 1.4
North Carolina ...............| 5,060,400 | 5,112,000 | 51,600 | 1.0
South Carolina ...............| 2,382,400 | 2,414,500 | 32,100 | 1.3
Texas ........................| 14,302,400 | 14,468,000 | 165,600 | 1.2
Virginia .....................| 4,280,100 | 4,232,200 | -47,900 | -1.1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
United States Department of Labor
