Mapped: Unemployment Rate By State in 2024

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Etienne Note: The States with the most "government" CA, IL, DC, NY have the highest unemployment. The states with the least "government" NH, Florida, ID. SD, ND etc. have the lowest unemployment.

By Kayla Zhu

Unemployment Rate By U.S. State Mapped

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

So far in 2024, the unemployment rate in the U.S. has remained relatively stable, hovering around 4.1%, which represents a a historically low unemployment level.

Unemployment rates vary across states due to differences in industry mix, population density, and economic policies. This map visualizes the unemployment rate of each state as of October 2024 using seasonally adjusted figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which State Has The Highest Unemployment Rate in 2024?

Below, we show the unemployment rates for each U.S. state as of October 2024, which have D.C. and Nevada tied for the highest unemployment rate at 5.7% as of October.

While D.C. is home to a highly educated workforce in federal government and professional services, there is also a significant population with lower education levels or job training, leading to a mismatch between available jobs and skills.

States like Nevada may experience higher unemployment rates, largely due to their reliance on tourism, which can be more susceptible to economic fluctuations.

Following D.C. and Nevada is California, with the third-highest unemployment rate among U.S. states at 5.4%. The Golden State has had significantly lower levels of job creation compared to the country overall, with the job creation growth rate since pre-pandemic (February 2020) being only 2.3% compared to the country’s overall growth rate of 4.4%.

Midwestern states like Nebraska (2.7%), Iowa (3%), and Wisconsin (2.9%) consistently feature low unemployment, reflecting stability in these states’ economies and the region overall.

In 2022, the Midwest led the nation in the prime-age employment-to-population ratio, reaching 82%. However, racial disparities in employment are significant in the region, with the Black unemployment rate exceeding the white unemployment rate by more than 2.5 times.

Smaller, less populated states such as South Dakota (1.9%), Vermont (2.3%), and North Dakota (2.4%) also recorded some of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation as of October 2024.

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