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Annual average unemployment rates increased in 21 states in 2024

March 07, 2025

In 2024, annual average unemployment rates increased in 21 states and were little changed in 29 states and the District of Columbia. 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 percentage point to 60.1 percent.

 Unemployment rates by state, 2023–24 annual averages
State 2023 2024

Alabama

2.5 3.1

Alaska

4.2 4.6

Arizona

3.7 3.6

Arkansas

3.1 3.5

California

4.7 5.3

Colorado

3.3 4.3

Connecticut

3.2 3.2

Delaware

3.8 3.7

District of Columbia

4.8 5.2

Florida

3.0 3.4

Georgia

3.3 3.5

Hawaii

2.9 3.0

Idaho

3.2 3.7

Illinois

4.5 5.0

Indiana

3.4 4.2

Iowa

2.9 3.0

Kansas

2.9 3.6

Kentucky

4.3 5.1

Louisiana

3.7 4.4

Maine

2.6 3.1

Maryland

2.2 3.0

Massachusetts

3.5 4.0

Michigan

3.9 4.7

Minnesota

2.8 3.0

Mississippi

3.1 3.2

Missouri

3.1 3.7

Montana

2.7 3.0

Nebraska

2.3 2.8

Nevada

5.2 5.6

New Hampshire

2.3 2.6

New Jersey

4.3 4.5

New Mexico

3.7 4.1

New York

4.1 4.3

North Carolina

3.5 3.6

North Dakota

2.0 2.4

Ohio

3.7 4.3

Oklahoma

3.2 3.3

Oregon

3.8 4.2

Pennsylvania

3.7 3.6

Rhode Island

3.0 4.3

South Carolina

3.0 4.1

South Dakota

1.8 1.8

Tennessee

3.2 3.4

Texas

4.0 4.1

Utah

2.7 3.2

Vermont

1.9 2.3

Virginia

2.7 2.9

Washington

4.2 4.5

West Virginia

3.9 4.1

Wisconsin

2.8 3.0

Wyoming

2.9 3.2

Note: Data were subject to revision on March 5, 2025

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.

The unemployment rate increased in 21 states in 2024, the largest of which were in Rhode Island (+1.3 percentage points), South Carolina (+1.1 percentage points), and Colorado (+1.0 percentage 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.

Employment–population ratios by state, 2023–24 annual averages
State 2023 2024

Alabama

55.6 55.7

Alaska

62.0 61.6

Arizona

59.5 59.3

Arkansas

56.0 56.2

California

59.2 58.8

Colorado

65.9 65.1

Connecticut

62.4 62.8

Delaware

58.3 57.4

District of Columbia

68.6 68.6

Florida

57.4 56.5

Georgia

59.8 59.5

Hawaii

58.3 58.1

Idaho

61.6 61.6

Illinois

61.5 61.8

Indiana

61.1 60.9

Iowa

65.6 64.9

Kansas

65.0 64.7

Kentucky

55.2 55.2

Louisiana

56.2 55.7

Maine

57.9 58.3

Maryland

63.6 63.4

Massachusetts

63.1 63.6

Michigan

59.1 58.9

Minnesota

66.4 66.1

Mississippi

52.8 53.5

Missouri

61.2 61.0

Montana

61.5 61.2

Nebraska

67.5 67.0

Nevada

59.5 59.3

New Hampshire

63.8 63.9

New Jersey

62.1 61.4

New Mexico

55.2 55.3

New York

58.5 58.3

North Carolina

59.0 58.1

North Dakota

67.8 67.7

Ohio

59.7 59.7

Oklahoma

60.6 60.7

Oregon

60.1 60.0

Pennsylvania

60.1 59.8

Rhode Island

61.7 61.6

South Carolina

56.0 55.5

South Dakota

67.3 67.4

Tennessee

57.8 57.5

Texas

62.1 62.3

Utah

67.4 66.7

Vermont

63.2 63.8

Virginia

64.5 64.0

Washington

61.4 60.6

West Virginia

52.8 52.6

Wisconsin

64.0 64.0

Wyoming

62.2 61.4

Note: Data were subject to revision on March 5, 2025

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. Mississippi and West Virginia had the lowest employment–population ratios among the states, 53.5 percent and 52.6 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.

Five states had employment–population ratio decreases in 2024: Florida and North Carolina (−0.9 percentage point each), Washington and Wyoming (−0.8 percentage point each), and California, (−0.4 percentage point). The remaining 45 states and the District of Columbia had ratios that were not notably different from those of the previous year.

These data are from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program. To learn more, see “Regional and State Unemployment – 2024 Annual Averages.” The employment–population ratio is the proportion of the civilian population age 16 years and older who are employed.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Annual average unemployment rates increased in 21 states in 2024 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2025/annual-average-unemployment-rates-increased-in-21-states-in-2024.htm (visited March 22, 2025).

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