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0.3 unemployed person per job opening in Maryland and North Dakota in January 2024

March 28, 2024

In January 2024, there were a total of 6,124,000 unemployed people and 8,863,000 job openings in the United States, yielding a ratio of 0.7 unemployed person per job opening. The national job openings rate was 5.3 percent. Maryland and North Dakota were among the states with the lowest numbers of unemployed people per job opening with 0.3 person each. Maryland had one of the highest job openings rates in the nation at 7.4 percent. The job openings rate in North Dakota was 5.6 percent.

Number of unemployed people per job opening by state, January 2024

Total U.S.: 0.7

Number of unemployed people per job opening and job openings rates by state, January 2024
State Unemployed people per job opening Unemployed people Job openings Job openings rate

Total U.S.

0.7 6,124,000 8,863,000 5.3

Alabama

0.5 66,558 129,000 5.6

Alaska

0.7 16,406 25,000 7.0

Arizona

1.1 155,052 144,000 4.3

Arkansas

0.7 50,811 71,000 5.0

California

1.2 1,013,856 819,000 4.4

Colorado

0.6 110,213 183,000 5.8

Connecticut

0.9 82,924 90,000 5.0

Delaware

0.6 20,659 36,000 6.9

District of Columbia

0.5 20,312 44,000 5.4

Florida

0.7 340,168 518,000 5.0

Georgia

0.6 166,760 283,000 5.4

Hawaii

0.8 20,868 26,000 3.9

Idaho

0.6 32,264 52,000 5.7

Illinois

0.9 305,486 349,000 5.4

Indiana

0.7 117,341 162,000 4.7

Iowa

0.5 51,077 96,000 5.7

Kansas

0.5 39,069 82,000 5.4

Kentucky

0.7 87,154 117,000 5.5

Louisiana

0.7 85,123 122,000 5.9

Maine

0.5 23,742 45,000 6.4

Maryland

0.3 72,831 219,000 7.4

Massachusetts

0.5 114,168 214,000 5.4

Michigan

0.8 201,951 261,000 5.5

Minnesota

0.5 82,861 183,000 5.7

Mississippi

0.5 39,128 74,000 5.9

Missouri

0.5 101,578 205,000 6.4

Montana

0.5 19,312 37,000 6.6

Nebraska

0.5 26,336 55,000 4.9

Nevada

1.0 84,821 84,000 5.1

New Hampshire

0.5 19,663 41,000 5.5

New Jersey

1.1 232,347 211,000 4.6

New Mexico

0.6 38,562 61,000 6.5

New York

0.8 438,983 556,000 5.4

North Carolina

0.6 185,737 299,000 5.7

North Dakota

0.3 8,027 26,000 5.6

Ohio

0.6 211,818 334,000 5.6

Oklahoma

0.6 70,141 115,000 6.1

Oregon

0.6 88,370 143,000 6.8

Pennsylvania

0.6 220,568 367,000 5.6

Rhode Island

0.7 20,926 28,000 5.2

South Carolina

0.5 75,325 164,000 6.5

South Dakota

0.4 9,899 27,000 5.5

Tennessee

0.6 117,040 209,000 5.9

Texas

0.7 584,580 781,000 5.3

Utah

0.6 50,263 91,000 5.0

Vermont

0.4 8,093 18,000 5.5

Virginia

0.5 139,777 257,000 5.8

Washington

1.1 183,684 175,000 4.6

West Virginia

0.6 34,031 53,000 6.8

Wisconsin

0.6 100,375 163,000 5.1

Wyoming

0.4 8,373 19,000 6.1

Note: Data are seasonally adjusted.

In Nevada, the numbers of unemployed people and job openings in January 2024 were roughly equal, yielding a ratio of 1.0 unemployed person per job opening.

Among the states with the highest numbers of unemployed people per job opening were California (1.2 people) and Arizona, New Jersey and Washington (1.1 people each).

In addition to Maryland, other states that had high job openings rates in January 2024 were Alaska (7.0 percent), Delaware (6.9 percent), and Oregon and West Virginia (6.8 percent each). Some of the lowest rates occurred in Hawaii (3.9 percent), Arizona (4.3 percent), and California (4.4 percent).

These data are from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey and are seasonally adjusted and preliminary. For more information, see "State Job Openings and Labor Turnover — January 2024" and charts of state job openings and labor turnover data. The ratio of unemployed people per job opening shows tightness in the labor market. When the ratio equals 1.0, there is approximately one unemployed person per job opening. When less than 1.0, the labor market is tight, as job openings outnumber the unemployed. When greater than 1.0, there are more unemployed people than available jobs. The job openings rate is calculated by dividing the number of job openings by the sum of employment and job openings.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, 0.3 unemployed person per job opening in Maryland and North Dakota in January 2024 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2024/0-3-unemployed-person-per-job-opening-in-maryland-and-north-dakota-in-january-2024.htm (visited October 31, 2024).

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