The list of U.S. states and territories by unemployment rate compares the seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state and territory, sortable by name, rate, and change. Data are provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in its Geographic Profile of Employment and Unemployment publication. While the non-seasonally adjusted data reflects the actual unemployment rate, the seasonally adjusted data removes time from the equation.
Unemployment rate by jurisdiction In August 2026, South Dakota had the lowest state unemployment rate at 2.0 percent, followed by North Dakota at 2.2 percent. The District of Columbia had the highest rate at 5.7 percent. Nineteen states had unemployment rates significantly lower than the national rate of 4.1 percent, while six states and the District had significantly higher rates.
The figures for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico are seasonally adjusted preliminary estimates for August 2026. The American Samoa and Northern Mariana Islands figures retained below have older reference periods. American Samoa is from 2018, and the Northern Mariana Islands figure is from April 2010.
Jurisdiction Unemployment rate (%) Reference period 3.4 August 2026 4.3 August 2026 4.9 August 2026 3.9 August 2026 5.1 August 2026 4.0 August 2026 5.1 August 2026 4.7 August 2026 District of Columbia 5.7 August 2026 4.5 August 2026 3.2 August 2026 2.7 August 2026 3.6 August 2026 4.7 August 2026 3.3 August 2026 3.2 August 2026 3.8 August 2026 4.7 August 2026 4.2 August 2026 3.2 August 2026 4.1 August 2026 4.3 August 2026 5.0 August 2026 4.4 August 2026 3.4 August 2026 3.5 August 2026 3.2 August 2026 2.9 August 2026 4.8 August 2026 2.8 August 2026 4.3 August 2026 4.7 August 2026 4.3 August 2026 3.5 August 2026 2.2 August 2026 3.3 August 2026 4.3 August 2026 5.1 August 2026 3.7 August 2026 3.7 August 2026 4.1 August 2026 2.0 August 2026 3.4 August 2026 4.4 August 2026 3.5 August 2026 2.6 August 2026 3.6 August 2026 4.9 August 2026 4.0 August 2026 3.2 August 2026 3.0 August 2026 Northern Mariana Islands 11.2 April 2010 American Samoa 11.4 2018 Puerto Rico 6.1 August 2026
Note that italics represent an insular possession of the United States. See also List of U.S. States by employment rate Job creation index Unemployment in the United States
References
External links Comparison of Unemployment Benefits by State