State Unemployment (Annual) News Release

For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Wednesday, March 5, 2025                                      USDL-25-0294

Technical information:  (202) 691-6392  *  lausinfo@bls.gov  *  www.bls.gov/lau 
Media contact:          (202) 691-5902  *  PressOffice@bls.gov


                     REGIONAL AND STATE UNEMPLOYMENT -- 2024 ANNUAL AVERAGES


In 2024, annual average unemployment rates increased in 21 states and were little changed in 
29 states and the District of Columbia, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.
Employment-population ratios decreased in 5 states and were little changed in 45 states and 
the District. The U.S. jobless rate increased by 0.4 percentage point from the prior year to
4.0 percent, while the national employment-population ratio fell by 0.2 point to 60.1 percent.  

Regional Unemployment

All four census regions had unemployment rate increases from 2023: the Midwest and West 
(+0.5 percentage point each), South (+0.4 point), and Northeast (+0.3 point). The South 
registered the lowest jobless rate in 2024, 3.7 percent, while the West had the highest 
rate, 4.7 percent. (See table 1.)
 
Seven of the 9 geographic divisions had over-the-year unemployment rate changes in 2024, 
all of which were increases. The largest of these increases occurred in the East North Central 
(+0.6 percentage point). The West North Central had the lowest jobless rate, 3.2 percent. 
The highest jobless rate among the divisions was in the Pacific, 5.0 percent. The East South 
Central, New England, South Atlantic, and West North Central divisions had rates below the 
national figure, while the East North Central and Pacific divisions had rates above it.

 ______________________________________________________________________________________________
|											       |
|                     Changes to Local Area Unemployment Statistics Data		       |
|                                                                                              |
| Effective with this release, data for regions, divisions, states, the District of Columbia,  |
| the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale metropolitan division, and New York City have been re-   |
| estimated from 1976 through 2024. The annual average data shown in tables 1 and 2 were       |
| affected, as were monthly seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted data. Information  |
| on these data revisions is available at                                                      |
| www.bls.gov/lau/geography-and-data-changes-in-2025.htm.                                      |
|______________________________________________________________________________________________|


State Unemployment

Twenty-one states had unemployment rate increases in 2024, the largest of which were in Rhode
Island (+1.3 percentage points), South Carolina (+1.1 points), and Colorado (+1.0 point). The 
remaining 29 states and the District of Columbia had annual average jobless rates in 2024 that 
were not appreciably different from those of the previous year, though some had changes that
were at least as large numerically as the significant changes. (See table A.) 

South Dakota had the lowest jobless rate among the states in 2024, 1.8 percent. Nevada had the 
highest unemployment rate, 5.6 percent. Overall, 24 states had unemployment rates lower than the
U.S. figure of 4.0 percent, 5 states and the District of Columbia had higher rates, and 21 states
had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation. Two states set new annual 
average series low unemployment rates in 2024: Arizona and Pennsylvania (3.6 percent each). All 
state series begin in 1976. (See table B.)

Regional Employment-Population Ratios

In 2024, two census regions had decreases in their employment-population ratios--the proportion of 
the civilian noninstitutional population 16 years of age and over who are employed. These decreases
occurred in the West (-0.4 percentage point) and South (-0.3 point). The Midwest had the highest
employment-population ratio, 61.9 percent, while the South had the lowest ratio, 59.0 percent. 
(See table 2.)

Two census divisions had over-the-year decreases in their employment-population ratios in 2024: 
the South Atlantic (-0.7 percentage point) and Pacific (-0.4 point). Five divisions had ratios 
notably higher than the U.S. ratio of 60.1 percent, the highest of which was in the West North 
Central, 64.5 percent. Four divisions had ratios that were lower than the national average, the 
lowest of which was in the East South Central, 55.9 percent.

State Employment-Population Ratios

Five states had employment-population ratio decreases in 2024: Florida and North Carolina (-0.9 
percentage point each), Washington and Wyoming (-0.8 point each), and California (-0.4 point). 
The remaining 45 states and the District of Columbia had ratios that were not notably different 
from those of the previous year, though some had changes that were at least as large numerically 
as the significant changes. (See table C.)

The District of Columbia had the highest proportion of employed people in 2024, 68.6 percent. 
The next highest ratios were in North Dakota, 67.7 percent, and South Dakota, 67.4 percent. 
West Virginia and Mississippi had the lowest employment-population ratios among the states, 
52.6 percent and 53.5 percent, respectively. Overall, 19 states and the District had employment-
population ratios higher than the U.S. ratio of 60.1 percent, 17 states had lower ratios, and 
14 states had ratios that were not appreciably different from that of the nation. (See table D.)

_____________
The State Employment and Unemployment news release for January 2025 is scheduled to be released 
on Monday, March 17, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment
news release for January 2025 is scheduled to be released on Friday, March 21, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.
(ET).



Table A.  States with statistically significant unemployment rate changes, 
2023-24 annual averages
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                |          Rate           |               
                                |-------------------------| Over-the-year 
             State              |            |            |  rate change  
                                |    2023    |    2024    |               
--------------------------------|------------|------------|---------------
Alabama ........................|     2.5    |     3.1    |       0.6
California .....................|     4.7    |     5.3    |        .6
Colorado .......................|     3.3    |     4.3    |       1.0
Florida ........................|     3.0    |     3.4    |        .4
Idaho ..........................|     3.2    |     3.7    |        .5
Illinois .......................|     4.5    |     5.0    |        .5
Indiana ........................|     3.4    |     4.2    |        .8
Kansas .........................|     2.9    |     3.6    |        .7
Kentucky .......................|     4.3    |     5.1    |        .8
Louisiana ......................|     3.7    |     4.4    |        .7
                                |            |            |
Maryland .......................|     2.2    |     3.0    |        .8
Massachusetts ..................|     3.5    |     4.0    |        .5
Michigan .......................|     3.9    |     4.7    |        .8
Missouri .......................|     3.1    |     3.7    |        .6
Nebraska .......................|     2.3    |     2.8    |        .5
North Dakota ...................|     2.0    |     2.4    |        .4
Ohio ...........................|     3.7    |     4.3    |        .6
Rhode Island ...................|     3.0    |     4.3    |       1.3
South Carolina .................|     3.0    |     4.1    |       1.1
Utah ...........................|     2.7    |     3.2    |        .5
Vermont ........................|     1.9    |     2.3    |        .4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------


Table B.  States with unemployment rates significantly differ-
ent from that of the U.S., 2024 annual averages
--------------------------------------------------------------
                State                |          Rate
--------------------------------------------------------------
United States .......................|           4.0
                                     |
Alabama .............................|           3.1
Arkansas ............................|           3.5
California ..........................|           5.3
Connecticut .........................|           3.2
District of Columbia ................|           5.2
Florida .............................|           3.4
Georgia .............................|           3.5
Hawaii ..............................|           3.0
Illinois ............................|           5.0
Iowa ................................|           3.0
                                     |
Kentucky ............................|           5.1
Maine ...............................|           3.1
Maryland ............................|           3.0
Michigan ............................|           4.7
Minnesota ...........................|           3.0
Mississippi .........................|           3.2
Montana .............................|           3.0
Nebraska ............................|           2.8
Nevada ..............................|           5.6
New Hampshire .......................|           2.6
                                     |
North Dakota ........................|           2.4
Oklahoma ............................|           3.3
Pennsylvania ........................|           3.6
South Dakota ........................|           1.8
Tennessee ...........................|           3.4
Utah ................................|           3.2
Vermont .............................|           2.3
Virginia ............................|           2.9
Wisconsin ...........................|           3.0
Wyoming .............................|           3.2
--------------------------------------------------------------


Table C.  States with statistically significant employment-population 
ratio changes, 2023-24 annual averages
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                |          Ratio          |               
                                |-------------------------| Over-the-year 
             State              |            |            | ratio change  
                                |    2023    |    2024    |               
--------------------------------|------------|------------|---------------
California .....................|    59.2    |    58.8    |      -0.4
Florida ........................|    57.4    |    56.5    |       -.9
North Carolina .................|    59.0    |    58.1    |       -.9
Washington .....................|    61.4    |    60.6    |       -.8
Wyoming ........................|    62.2    |    61.4    |       -.8
--------------------------------------------------------------------------


Table D.  States with employment-population ratios significantly
different from that of the U.S., 2024 annual averages
----------------------------------------------------------------
                State                |          Ratio          
----------------------------------------------------------------
United States .......................|           60.1
                                     |
Alabama .............................|           55.7
Arkansas ............................|           56.2
California ..........................|           58.8
Colorado ............................|           65.1
Connecticut .........................|           62.8
Delaware ............................|           57.4
District of Columbia ................|           68.6
Florida .............................|           56.5
Hawaii ..............................|           58.1
Idaho ...............................|           61.6
                                     |
Illinois ............................|           61.8
Iowa ................................|           64.9
Kansas ..............................|           64.7
Kentucky ............................|           55.2
Louisiana ...........................|           55.7
Maine ...............................|           58.3
Maryland ............................|           63.4
Massachusetts .......................|           63.6
Michigan ............................|           58.9
Minnesota ...........................|           66.1
                                     |
Mississippi .........................|           53.5
Nebraska ............................|           67.0
New Hampshire .......................|           63.9
New Jersey ..........................|           61.4
New Mexico ..........................|           55.3
New York ............................|           58.3
North Carolina ......................|           58.1
North Dakota ........................|           67.7
South Carolina ......................|           55.5
South Dakota ........................|           67.4
                                     |
Tennessee ...........................|           57.5
Texas ...............................|           62.3
Utah ................................|           66.7
Vermont .............................|           63.8
Virginia ............................|           64.0
West Virginia .......................|           52.6
Wisconsin ...........................|           64.0
----------------------------------------------------------------

Technical Note

This release presents labor force and unemployment data for census regions and divisions and states
from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program. The LAUS program is a federal-state
cooperative endeavor.

Concepts

Definitions. The labor force and unemployment data are based on the same concepts and definitions
as those used for the official national estimates obtained from the Current Population Survey (CPS),
a sample survey of households that is conducted for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) by the U.S.
Census Bureau. The LAUS program measures employed and unemployed people on a place-of-residence
basis. The universe for each is the civilian noninstitutional population 16 years of age and older.
Employed people are those who did any work at all for pay or profit in the reference week (the week
including the 12th of the month) or worked 15 hours or more without pay in a family business or farm,
plus those not working who had a job from which they were temporarily absent, whether or not paid,
for such reasons as labor management dispute, illness, or vacation. Unemployed people are those who
were not employed during the reference week (based on the definition above), had actively looked for
a job sometime in the 4-week period ending with the reference week, and were currently available for
work; people on layoff expecting recall need not be looking for work to be counted as unemployed.
The labor force is the sum of employed and unemployed people. The unemployment rate is the number
of unemployed people expressed as a percent of the labor force. The employment-population ratio is
the proportion of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 years of age and older that is employed.

Method of estimation. Estimates for 48 of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Los Angeles-
Long Beach-Glendale metropolitan division, New York City, and the balances of California and New York
State are produced using estimating equations based on regression techniques. This method uses data
from several sources, including the CPS, the Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey of nonfarm
payroll employment, and state unemployment insurance (UI) programs. Estimates for the state of
California are derived by summing the estimates for the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale metropolitan
division and the balance of California. Similarly, estimates for New York State are derived by summing
the estimates for New York City and the balance of New York State. Estimates for all nine census 
divisions are based on a similar regression approach that does not incorporate CES or UI data.
Estimates for census regions are obtained by summing the model-based estimates for the component 
divisions and then calculating the unemployment rate. Each month, census division estimates are
controlled to national totals; state estimates are then controlled to their respective division totals.
A detailed description of the estimation procedures is available from BLS upon request. 

Annual revisions. Labor force and unemployment data for prior years reflect adjustments made at the
beginning of each year. The adjusted estimates incorporate updated population controls from the U.S.
Census Bureau, any revisions in the other data sources, and model re-estimation. Typically, historical
data for the most recent 5 years (both seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted) are revised
near the beginning of each calendar year, prior to the release of January estimates. The population
controls for April 2020 forward reflect a "blended base," using population totals from the 2020 Census
but demographic distributions still based on the 2010 Census. Typically, population estimates are 
revised back to the decennial estimates base. In 2025, BLS implemented synthetic state intercensal 
population estimates back to 1980 to smooth decennial discontinuities, resulting in the re-estimation
of state, region, and division data back to the series beginnings in 1976. For more information, see
www.bls.gov/lau/geography-and-data-changes-in-2025.htm.

Reliability of the estimates

The estimates presented in this release are based on sample surveys, administrative data, and modeling
and, thus, are subject to sampling and other types of errors. Sampling error is a measure of sampling 
variability--that is, variation that occurs by chance because a sample rather than the entire population
is surveyed. Survey data also are subject to nonsampling errors, such as those which can be introduced 
into the data collection and processing operations. Estimates not directly derived from sample surveys
are subject to additional errors resulting from the specific estimation processes used. In table 1,
level estimates for states may not sum to level estimates for regions and divisions because of rounding.
Unemployment rates and employment-population ratios are computed from unrounded levels and, thus, may
differ slightly from rates and ratios computed using the rounded level estimates displayed in table 1.

Use of error measures. Changes in unemployment rates and employment-population ratios are cited in the
analysis of this release only if they have been determined to be statistically significant. Furthermore,
unemployment rates and employment-population ratios for the latest year generally are cited only if they
have been determined to be significantly different from the corresponding U.S. measure. The underlying
model-based error measures are available online at www.bls.gov/lau/lastderr.htm. BLS uses 90-percent
confidence levels in determining whether changes in LAUS unemployment rates and employment-population 
ratios are statistically significant. The average magnitude of the over-the-year change in an annual
state unemployment  rate that is required in order to be statistically significant at the 90-percent
confidence level is about 0.4 percentage point. The average magnitude of the over-the-year change in
an annual state employment-population ratio that is required in order to be statistically significant
at the 90-percent confidence level is about 0.8 percentage point. Measures of nonsampling error are not
available.

Additional information

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