For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Tuesday, August 19, 2025 USDL-25-1300
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 2025
Unemployment rates were lower in July in 2 states, higher in 1 state, and stable in 47
states and the District of Columbia, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported
today. Seventeen states and the District had jobless rate increases from a year earlier,
5 states had decreases, and 28 states had little change. The national unemployment rate,
4.2 percent, changed little over the month and was the same as in July 2024.
In July 2025, 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 19 states and was essentially unchanged in 31 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 July, 1.9 percent. The District of Columbia had the
highest unemployment rate, 6.0 percent. The next highest rates were in California, 5.5 percent,
and Nevada, 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 July, two states had unemployment rate decreases: Alabama and Colorado (-0.2 percentage point
each). California had the only rate increase (+0.1 percentage point). The remaining 47 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.)
Seventeen states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate increases from July 2024, the
largest of which was in Mississippi (+0.9 percentage point). Five states had over-the-year rate
decreases, the largest of which was in Indiana (-0.7 percentage point). 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 2025, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 4 states and was essentially unchanged in 46
states and the District of Columbia. Employment increased in New York (+55,500, or +0.6 percent),
Missouri (+17,100, or +0.6 percent), Maryland (+11,700, or +0.4 percent), and South Carolina
(+9,000, or +0.4 percent). (See tables D and 3.)
Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 19 states and was essentially unchanged
in 31 states and the District of Columbia. The largest job gains occurred in Texas (+232,500),
New York (+153,400), and Florida (+134,100). The largest percentage increases occurred in South
Carolina (+3.4 percent), New Mexico (+2.7 percent), and Hawaii (+2.1 percent). (See table E.)
_____________
The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for July is scheduled to be
released on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). The State Employment and
Unemployment news release for August is scheduled to be released on Friday, September 19,
2025, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).
________________________________________________________________________________________________
| |
| 2025 Preliminary Benchmark Revision to Establishment Survey Data |
| to be Released on September 9, 2025 |
| |
| 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 2025, 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 2024 to September 2025. |
| |
| BLS will release first-quarter 2025 data from the QCEW on September 9, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. |
| (ET). At the same time, BLS will publish preliminary benchmark revisions for March 2025 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 2026 State Employment and Unemployment news release in |
| March 2026. |
|________________________________________________________________________________________________|
Table A. States with unemployment rates significantly different
from that of the U.S., July 2025, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------
State | Rate(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------
United States (1) ...................| 4.2
|
Alabama .............................| 3.0
California ..........................| 5.5
District of Columbia ................| 6.0
Florida .............................| 3.7
Georgia .............................| 3.4
Hawaii ..............................| 2.7
Idaho ...............................| 3.7
Indiana .............................| 3.6
Maine ...............................| 3.2
Maryland ............................| 3.4
|
Michigan ............................| 5.3
Minnesota ...........................| 3.5
Montana .............................| 2.8
Nebraska ............................| 3.0
Nevada ..............................| 5.4
New Hampshire .......................| 3.1
North Dakota ........................| 2.5
Ohio ................................| 5.0
Oklahoma ............................| 3.1
South Dakota ........................| 1.9
|
Tennessee ...........................| 3.6
Utah ................................| 3.3
Vermont .............................| 2.6
Virginia ............................| 3.6
Wisconsin ...........................| 3.1
Wyoming .............................| 3.3
--------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Data are not preliminary.
(p) = preliminary.
Table B. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from June 2025 to July 2025, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rate |
|-----------|-----------| Over-the-month
State | June | July | change(p)
| 2025 | 2025(p) |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama ........................| 3.2 | 3.0 | -0.2
California .....................| 5.4 | 5.5 | .1
Colorado .......................| 4.7 | 4.5 | -.2
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
Table C. States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes
from July 2024 to July 2025, seasonally adjusted
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rate |
|-----------|-----------| Over-the-year
State | July | July | change(p)
| 2024 | 2025(p) |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arizona ........................| 3.6 | 4.1 | 0.5
Arkansas .......................| 3.4 | 3.7 | .3
California .....................| 5.4 | 5.5 | .1
Connecticut ....................| 3.1 | 3.8 | .7
Delaware .......................| 3.7 | 4.1 | .4
District of Columbia ...........| 5.3 | 6.0 | .7
Florida ........................| 3.4 | 3.7 | .3
Illinois .......................| 5.1 | 4.6 | -.5
Indiana ........................| 4.3 | 3.6 | -.7
Iowa ...........................| 3.1 | 3.7 | .6
| | |
Massachusetts ..................| 4.1 | 4.8 | .7
Michigan .......................| 4.8 | 5.3 | .5
Mississippi ....................| 3.1 | 4.0 | .9
Missouri .......................| 3.7 | 4.1 | .4
New Hampshire ..................| 2.6 | 3.1 | .5
New Jersey .....................| 4.6 | 4.9 | .3
New York .......................| 4.4 | 4.0 | -.4
Ohio ...........................| 4.3 | 5.0 | .7
Oregon .........................| 4.2 | 5.0 | .8
Pennsylvania ...................| 3.6 | 4.0 | .4
| | |
South Carolina .................| 4.5 | 4.2 | -.3
Virginia .......................| 2.8 | 3.6 | .8
West Virginia ..................| 4.1 | 3.7 | -.4
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
Table D. States with statistically significant employment changes from June 2025 to
July 2025, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | | Over-the-month change(p)
State | June | July |---------------------------
| 2025 | 2025(p) | Level | Percent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maryland .....................| 2,840,800 | 2,852,500 | 11,700 | 0.4
Missouri .....................| 3,012,300 | 3,029,400 | 17,100 | .6
New York .....................| 9,967,800 | 10,023,300 | 55,500 | .6
South Carolina ...............| 2,420,400 | 2,429,400 | 9,000 | .4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
Table E. States with statistically significant employment changes from July 2024 to
July 2025, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | | Over-the-year change(p)
State | July | July |---------------------------
| 2024 | 2025(p) | Level | Percent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama ......................| 2,189,700 | 2,214,500 | 24,800 | 1.1
Arkansas .....................| 1,365,800 | 1,383,800 | 18,000 | 1.3
Florida ......................| 9,934,900 | 10,069,000 | 134,100 | 1.3
Hawaii .......................| 637,400 | 650,800 | 13,400 | 2.1
Idaho ........................| 867,400 | 883,900 | 16,500 | 1.9
Indiana ......................| 3,256,100 | 3,292,800 | 36,700 | 1.1
Michigan .....................| 4,471,100 | 4,528,600 | 57,500 | 1.3
Minnesota ....................| 3,008,300 | 3,043,300 | 35,000 | 1.2
Missouri .....................| 2,980,100 | 3,029,400 | 49,300 | 1.7
New Mexico ...................| 885,200 | 908,900 | 23,700 | 2.7
| | | |
New York .....................| 9,869,900 | 10,023,300 | 153,400 | 1.6
North Carolina ...............| 5,011,500 | 5,094,600 | 83,100 | 1.7
Ohio .........................| 5,651,200 | 5,721,400 | 70,200 | 1.2
Oklahoma .....................| 1,774,400 | 1,800,200 | 25,800 | 1.5
Pennsylvania .................| 6,139,600 | 6,237,200 | 97,600 | 1.6
South Carolina ...............| 2,350,400 | 2,429,400 | 79,000 | 3.4
Texas ........................| 14,101,300 | 14,333,800 | 232,500 | 1.6
Utah .........................| 1,740,000 | 1,765,900 | 25,900 | 1.5
Washington ...................| 3,639,300 | 3,677,800 | 38,500 | 1.1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p) = preliminary.
United States Department of Labor
