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South Dakota had the lowest jobless rate in June 2026
July 24, 2026
South Dakota had the lowest unemployment rate among the states, 2.0 percent in June 2026. The District of Columbia had the highest unemployment rate, 6.0 percent. In total, 17 states had unemployment rates lower than the U.S. figure of 4.2 percent, 8 states and the District had higher rates, and 25 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation.
State unemployment rates, June 2026, seasonally adjusted
National unemployment rate: 4.2%
| State | June 2026 unemployment rate (percent) | June 2025 unemployment rate (rpercent) | 12-month change (percentage point(s)) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 3.2 | 2.9 | 0.3 |
| Alaska | 4.4 | 4.6 | -0.2 |
| Arizona | 4.9 | 4.3 | 0.6 |
| Arkansas | 4.1 | 4.0 | 0.1 |
| California | 5.2 | 5.5 | -0.3 |
| Colorado | 3.9 | 4.0 | -0.1 |
| Connecticut | 5.2 | 3.9 | 1.3 |
| Delaware | 4.9 | 4.7 | 0.2 |
| District of Columbia | 6.0 | 6.2 | -0.2 |
| Florida | 4.7 | 3.8 | 0.9 |
| Georgia | 3.4 | 3.3 | 0.1 |
| Hawaii | 2.6 | 2.3 | 0.3 |
| Idaho | 3.7 | 3.6 | 0.1 |
| Illinois | 5.1 | 4.3 | 0.8 |
| Indiana | 3.3 | 3.7 | -0.4 |
| Iowa | 3.2 | 3.5 | -0.3 |
| Kansas | 3.8 | 3.7 | 0.1 |
| Kentucky | 4.7 | 4.6 | 0.1 |
| Louisiana | 4.4 | 4.3 | 0.1 |
| Maine | 3.1 | 3.3 | -0.2 |
| Maryland | 4.3 | 4.1 | 0.2 |
| Massachusetts | 4.4 | 4.4 | 0.0 |
| Michigan | 5.0 | 5.0 | 0.0 |
| Minnesota | 4.4 | 3.8 | 0.6 |
| Mississippi | 3.8 | 3.8 | 0.0 |
| Missouri | 3.7 | 4.0 | -0.3 |
| Montana | 3.3 | 3.2 | 0.1 |
| Nebraska | 2.9 | 2.9 | 0.0 |
| Nevada | 5.1 | 5.2 | -0.1 |
| New Hampshire | 2.9 | 3.1 | -0.2 |
| New Jersey | 4.5 | 5.4 | -0.9 |
| New Mexico | 4.8 | 4.0 | 0.8 |
| New York | 4.6 | 4.3 | 0.3 |
| North Carolina | 3.6 | 3.8 | -0.2 |
| North Dakota | 2.3 | 2.6 | -0.3 |
| Ohio | 3.6 | 4.6 | -1.0 |
| Oklahoma | 4.2 | 3.2 | 1.0 |
| Oregon | 5.2 | 5.2 | 0.0 |
| Pennsylvania | 4.1 | 4.3 | -0.2 |
| Rhode Island | 4.1 | 4.3 | -0.2 |
| South Carolina | 4.4 | 4.4 | 0.0 |
| South Dakota | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 |
| Tennessee | 3.5 | 3.5 | 0.0 |
| Texas | 4.4 | 4.1 | 0.3 |
| Utah | 3.6 | 3.5 | 0.1 |
| Vermont | 2.6 | 2.6 | 0.0 |
| Virginia | 3.7 | 3.2 | 0.5 |
| Washington | 5.2 | 4.5 | 0.7 |
| West Virginia | 4.2 | 4.0 | 0.2 |
| Wisconsin | 3.3 | 3.1 | 0.2 |
| Wyoming | 3.2 | 3.2 | 0.0 |
Thirteen states had unemployment rate increases from June 2025, the largest of which were in Connecticut (+1.3 percentage points) and Oklahoma (+1.0 point). Seven states had over-the-year rate decreases, the largest of which was in Ohio (−1.0 percentage point). Thirty states and the District of Columbia had jobless rates that were not notably different from those of a year earlier.
These data are from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program and are seasonally adjusted. Data for the most recent month are preliminary. To learn more, see "State Employment and Unemployment — June 2026." We also have charts and maps of state employment and unemployment data.
SUGGESTED CITATION
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, South Dakota had the lowest jobless rate in June 2026 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2026/south-dakota-had-the-lowest-jobless-rate-in-june-2026.htm (visited July 28, 2026).
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