US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in July 2025, US unemployment held steady in most states, with slight changes in only three. The national rate stayed at 4.2%. South Dakota had the lowest rate (1.9%), and DC the highest (6.0%). Job growth occurred in four states, led by New York. Over the year, 19 states saw employment gains, with Texas and South Carolina showing the largest increases. The BLS writes:
Unemployment rates were lower in July in 2 states, higher in 1 state, and stable in 47 states and the District of Columbia, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today. Seventeen states and the District had jobless rate increases from a year earlier, 5 states had decreases, and 28 states had little change. The national unemployment rate, 4.2 percent, changed little over the month and was the same as in July 2024.
In July 2025, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 4 states and was essentially unchanged in 46 states and the District of Columbia. Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 19 states and was essentially unchanged in 31 states and the District.
This news release presents statistics from two monthly programs. The civilian labor force and unemployment data are modeled largely on a household survey and pertain to people by where they reside. The employment data are from an establishment survey that measures nonfarm employment, hours, and earnings by industry and pertain to jobs by work location. For more on methodology, see the Technical Note.
Unemployment
South Dakota had the lowest jobless rate in July, at 1.9 percent. The District of Columbia had the highest unemployment rate at 6.0 percent, followed by California (5.5 percent) and Nevada (5.4 percent). In total, 21 states had unemployment rates lower than the U.S. figure of 4.2 percent, 4 states and the District had higher rates, and 25 states had rates not appreciably different from the national rate.
Two states had unemployment rate decreases in July: Alabama and Colorado (−0.2 percentage point each). California had the only increase (+0.1 percentage point). The other 47 states and the District of Columbia saw no notable month-over-month change, despite some numerical shifts.
Seventeen states and the District had unemployment rate increases from July 2024, the largest being in Mississippi (+0.9 percentage point). Five states saw decreases, led by Indiana (−0.7 percentage point). Twenty-eight states had jobless rates that were not notably different from a year earlier.
Nonfarm Payroll Employment
In July 2025, nonfarm payroll employment rose in 4 states: New York (+55,500 or +0.6%), Missouri (+17,100 or +0.6%), Maryland (+11,700 or +0.4%), and South Carolina (+9,000 or +0.4%).
Over the past year, payroll employment increased in 19 states, with the largest job gains in Texas (+232,500), New York (+153,400), and Florida (+134,100). The largest percentage increases occurred in South Carolina (+3.4%), New Mexico (+2.7%), and Hawaii (+2.1%).
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