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Unemployment rates in the Dakotas among the lowest in September 2026

October 26, 2026

In September 2026, unemployment rates in North Dakota and South Dakota were among the lowest, at 2.2 percent and 2.0 percent, respectively. Nebraska, Hawaii, New Hampshire and Vermont each also had unemployment rates below 3.0 percent.

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Chart Data

States with unemployment rates significantly different from that of the United States, September 2026, seasonally adjusted
State	Unemployment rate (in percent)
District of Columbia	5.6
California	5.1
Michigan	5.0
United States	4.2
Pennsylvania	3.6
Virginia	3.6
Utah	3.5
Indiana	3.4
North Carolina	3.4
Ohio	3.4
Tennessee	3.4
Georgia	3.3
Maine	3.3
Mississippi	3.3
Iowa	3.2
Wisconsin	3.2
Montana	3.1
Wyoming	3.0
Nebraska	2.9
Hawaii	2.8
New Hampshire	2.6
Vermont	2.6
North Dakota	2.2
South Dakota	2.0
Note: State data are preliminary.

In total, 20 states had unemployment rates lower than the national rate of 4.2 percent, 2 states and the District of Columbia had higher rates, and 28 states had rates that were not notably different from the national rate.

From September 2025 to September 2026, the unemployment rate decreased in 20 states and the District. The largest decrease was in New Jersey (down 1.3 percentage points to 4.2 percent). Over the past year, 7 states had rate increases, with the largest increase in Connecticut (up 0.9 percentage points to 5.1 percent). In 23 states, jobless rates were not notably different from 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 — September 2026. Also see these charts and maps of state employment and unemployment data.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Unemployment rates in the Dakotas among the lowest in September 2026 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2026/unemployment-rates-in-the-dakotas-among-the-lowest-in-september-2026.htm (visited October 26, 2026).

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