Unemployment rates higher in 14 states from January 2025 to January 2026

Unemployment rates were higher in 14 states and the District of Columbia from January 2025 to January 2026. Two states had decreases, and 34 states had little change. The national unemployment rate, 4.3 percent in January 2026, was 0.3-percentage point higher than in January 2025.

The largest annual increase was in Delaware (+1.3 percentage points). The only over-the-year rate decreases occurred in Indiana and Ohio (−0.5 percentage point each). Thirty-four 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.

Hawaii and South Dakota had the lowest jobless rates in January, 2.2 percent each. The District of Columbia had the highest unemployment rate, 6.7 percent. The next highest rates were in California and Delaware, 5.4 percent each. In total, 20 states had unemployment rates lower than the U.S. figure of 4.3 percent, 7 states and the District had higher rates, and 23 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation.

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 — January 2026." We also have charts and maps of state employment and unemployment data.