What's Your State's Unemployment Rate Right Now? (2026)
District of Columbia had the highest unemployment rate at 5.9% in July 2026, against a 4.0% unweighted average across the 50 states and DC — a 3.9-percentage-point gap between the highest and lowest rates. 25 jurisdictions are above that unrounded average. BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, with SNAP enrollment and State Distress Index scores for cross-reference.
Data period: 2026-07 ·
Which States Have the Highest Unemployment?
State unemployment rates span 3.9 percentage points in July 2026. The highest rate is 5.9% in District of Columbia; the lowest is 2.0% in South Dakota. Same economy, same month, different country.
The unweighted average across the 50 states and DC is 4.0%, with a median of 3.9%. This gives each jurisdiction equal weight; it is not the official US unemployment rate. Comparisons use the unrounded average, so a rate matching its rounded display may still be above it. What's interesting is how the unemployment map overlaps with other forms of household distress. American Default Research publishes state-level distress scores that capture this intersection. The American Distress Index reads 43.8 (Typical) nationally. On average, its inputs sit higher than in 44% of their own quarterly histories. The state-level picture is where the pattern gets sharper.
At a Glance
Same-month comparison: July 2025 → July 2026. 17 jurisdictions increased, 24 decreased, 10 were unchanged, and 0 had no same-month prior-year observation. Changes are arithmetic differences, not tests of statistical significance.
The American Distress Index reads 43.8 (Typical). On average, its inputs sit higher than in 44% of their own quarterly histories. Unemployment feeds the distress data through two channels: the national unemployment rate and initial jobless claims are the two inputs to the ADI's Labor domain, and unemployment is also the state-level Labor domain in the State Distress Index. States with persistently elevated unemployment also tend to show higher delinquency rates, higher credit card default rates, and elevated SNAP enrollment, creating compounding distress. The State Distress Rankings page maps how these intersecting pressures cluster geographically.
Which 15 States Have the Highest Unemployment?
The highest rate, in District of Columbia, is 5.9%. That is 1.5 times the unweighted average across the 50 states and DC. The top 15 cluster in two familiar geographies. Large service-sector states with high cost-of-living coastal markets. And post-industrial states where the labor market recovery was always uneven to begin with. The pattern repeats across multiple cycles. The states that lead into downturns are often the ones that never fully recovered from the last one.
Unemployment Rate by State — Top 15 (2026-07)
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS). Seasonally adjusted monthly rates, July 2026.
Equal rates are tied; alphabetical order selects jurisdictions when a tie crosses the 15-row cutoff.
Does Higher Unemployment Mean Higher Financial Distress?
This is the question that matters more than the ranking. A state can have moderate unemployment and still score high on household distress, because delinquency, the courts, and severe renter cost burden all carry weight independently. But the scatter plot below makes one thing clear. When unemployment is high and composite distress is high, the compounding effect is visible. The upper-right quadrant of this chart is where labor market weakness meets pre-existing leverage. Those states also tend to have different foreclosure timelines and legal protections, which shapes how quickly economic stress converts to housing loss.
Unemployment Rate vs. State Distress Index Score (All 51 Jurisdictions)
BLS LAUS (2026-07) x State Distress Index composite.
Full state rankings: State Financial Distress Rankings 2026
How Is Unemployment Trending Month to Month?
Monthly unemployment rates since January 2022 for five jurisdictions among those with the highest rates in July 2026, alongside the unweighted average across the 50 states and DC. Equal current rates are tied; alphabetical order selects the five charted jurisdictions. The post-COVID recovery brought most states below 4% by mid-2022.
Monthly Unemployment Rate: Unweighted 50-State-and-DC Average and Five High-Rate Jurisdictions (2022–2026)
BLS LAUS. Seasonally adjusted monthly rates.
Gaps mean monthly observations are missing; they are not zero or interpolated. The unweighted average is shown only when all 50 states and DC have an observation for that month. It is not the official US unemployment rate.
National labor market indicators: Unemployment & Job Market Statistics 2026
How Does Unemployment Relate to Food Assistance?
Here's where it gets interesting. SNAP enrollment and unemployment should correlate, and they do. But not cleanly. Some states with moderate unemployment have very high SNAP enrollment. That's not job loss. That's low wages and high cost burdens creating the same downstream pressure through a different mechanism. The states in the upper-right quadrant of this chart are the ones facing both at once. Weak labor markets and widespread food assistance reliance. That combination is the clearest signal of deep, structural household distress.
Unemployment Rate vs. SNAP Enrollment Rate (All 51 Jurisdictions)
BLS LAUS (2026-07) × U.S. Department of Agriculture FNS SNAP participation data.
SNAP indicator: SNAP Enrollment Rate time series
State Rankings
The 10 highest and 10 lowest jurisdiction rates in July 2026, plus up to 10 increases and decreases for July 2025 → July 2026. Equal values share a rank and sort alphabetically; row limits may omit some tied jurisdictions.
Highest Unemployment
| # | State | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 5.9% |
| 2 | Connecticut | 5.2% |
| 2 | Oregon | 5.2% |
| 4 | California | 5.1% |
| 5 | Nevada | 5.0% |
| 5 | Washington | 5.0% |
| 7 | Arizona | 4.9% |
| 7 | Illinois | 4.9% |
| 7 | Michigan | 4.9% |
| 10 | Delaware | 4.8% |
Lowest Unemployment
| # | State | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | 2.0% |
| 2 | North Dakota | 2.2% |
| 3 | Vermont | 2.6% |
| 4 | Hawaii | 2.7% |
| 5 | New Hampshire | 2.8% |
| 6 | Nebraska | 2.9% |
| 7 | Wyoming | 3.0% |
| 8 | Maine | 3.1% |
| 9 | Iowa | 3.2% |
| 9 | Montana | 3.2% |
Biggest YoY Increase
| # | State | Change (percentage points) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | +1.3 |
| 2 | Oklahoma | +1.0 |
| 3 | New Mexico | +0.8 |
| 4 | Florida | +0.7 |
| 5 | Alabama | +0.6 |
| 5 | Arizona | +0.6 |
| 5 | Illinois | +0.6 |
| 8 | Hawaii | +0.5 |
| 8 | Minnesota | +0.5 |
| 10 | Virginia | +0.4 |
Biggest YoY Decrease
| # | State | Change (percentage points) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | -1.1 |
| 1 | Ohio | -1.1 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | -0.5 |
| 4 | California | -0.4 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | -0.4 |
| 4 | Indiana | -0.4 |
| 4 | Missouri | -0.4 |
| 4 | North Dakota | -0.4 |
| 9 | Alaska | -0.3 |
| 9 | Iowa | -0.3 |
All States: Unemployment, SNAP, and Distress
The full dataset for all 50 states and DC. Unemployment rate from BLS LAUS for July 2026, SNAP enrollment rate from USDA FNS, and composite State Distress Index score from American Default Research. Jurisdictions with unemployment above the unrounded unweighted average are highlighted in red. Year-over-year changes compare July 2025 → July 2026.
| State | Unemp. % | YoY Chg | SNAP % | SDI Score | Distress Score Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 3.4 | +0.6 | 12.7 | 62.8 | moderate-high state distress |
| Alaska | 4.3 | -0.3 | 9.5 | 29.3 | low state distress |
| Arizona | 4.9 | +0.6 | 5.4 | 65.7 | moderate-high state distress |
| Arkansas | 4.0 | -0.1 | 7.2 | 56.8 | moderate state distress |
| California | 5.1 | -0.4 | 13.1 | 68.5 | moderate-high state distress |
| Colorado | 3.9 | 0.0 | 9.6 | 43.3 | moderate-low state distress |
| Connecticut | 5.2 | +1.3 | 8.5 | 66.1 | moderate-high state distress |
| Delaware | 4.8 | 0.0 | 9.7 | 68.8 | moderate-high state distress |
| District of Columbia | 5.9 | -0.4 | 19.4 | 66.1 | moderate-high state distress |
| Florida | 4.6 | +0.7 | 9.8 | 80.1 | very high state distress |
| Georgia | 3.3 | 0.0 | 10.7 | 73.0 | high state distress |
| Hawaii | 2.7 | +0.5 | 11.0 | 33.1 | low-moderate state distress |
| Idaho | 3.6 | 0.0 | 6.1 | 32.8 | low-moderate state distress |
| Illinois | 4.9 | +0.6 | 12.5 | 63.6 | moderate-high state distress |
| Indiana | 3.3 | -0.4 | 7.2 | 50.8 | moderate state distress |
| Iowa | 3.2 | -0.3 | 7.6 | 28.3 | low state distress |
| Kansas | 3.8 | +0.1 | 5.5 | 38.5 | low-moderate state distress |
| Kentucky | 4.7 | +0.1 | 12.2 | 64.1 | moderate-high state distress |
| Louisiana | 4.4 | +0.1 | 13.8 | 85.9 | very high state distress |
| Maine | 3.1 | -0.2 | 10.5 | 23.0 | low state distress |
| Maryland | 4.2 | 0.0 | 10.0 | 64.4 | moderate-high state distress |
| Massachusetts | 4.4 | -0.1 | 12.8 | 42.1 | moderate-low state distress |
| Michigan | 4.9 | 0.0 | 13.5 | 72.2 | high state distress |
| Minnesota | 4.3 | +0.5 | 7.5 | 31.5 | low-moderate state distress |
| Mississippi | 3.6 | -0.2 | 10.7 | 73.2 | high state distress |
| Missouri | 3.6 | -0.4 | 9.9 | 44.8 | moderate-low state distress |
| Montana | 3.2 | -0.1 | 6.3 | 18.4 | very low state distress |
| Nebraska | 2.9 | 0.0 | 6.5 | 21.5 | low state distress |
| Nevada | 5.0 | -0.2 | 11.7 | 90.3 | extreme state distress |
| New Hampshire | 2.8 | -0.3 | 5.2 | 14.9 | very low state distress |
| New Jersey | 4.4 | -1.1 | 8.2 | 59.2 | moderate state distress |
| New Mexico | 4.8 | +0.8 | 20.6 | 67.1 | moderate-high state distress |
| New York | 4.4 | 0.0 | 14.1 | 62.9 | moderate-high state distress |
| North Carolina | 3.6 | -0.3 | 11.5 | 51.9 | moderate state distress |
| North Dakota | 2.2 | -0.4 | 6.6 | 8.7 | exceptionally low state distress |
| Ohio | 3.4 | -1.1 | 11.4 | 52.9 | moderate state distress |
| Oklahoma | 4.3 | +1.0 | 13.8 | 59.3 | moderate state distress |
| Oregon | 5.2 | -0.1 | 16.6 | 62.5 | moderate-high state distress |
| Pennsylvania | 3.9 | -0.5 | 13.3 | 55.8 | moderate state distress |
| Rhode Island | 3.9 | -0.3 | 11.0 | 50.6 | moderate state distress |
| South Carolina | 4.2 | -0.2 | 9.0 | 72.2 | high state distress |
| South Dakota | 2.0 | 0.0 | 7.6 | 9.4 | exceptionally low state distress |
| Tennessee | 3.4 | -0.1 | 8.3 | 54.2 | moderate state distress |
| Texas | 4.5 | +0.3 | 9.3 | 71.4 | high state distress |
| Utah | 3.6 | +0.1 | 4.2 | 26.9 | low state distress |
| Vermont | 2.6 | 0.0 | 9.0 | 16.9 | very low state distress |
| Virginia | 3.7 | +0.4 | 8.0 | 45.6 | moderate-low state distress |
| Washington | 5.0 | +0.4 | 10.5 | 44.4 | moderate-low state distress |
| West Virginia | 4.1 | -0.1 | 14.5 | 57.9 | moderate state distress |
| Wisconsin | 3.3 | +0.3 | 11.0 | 23.9 | low state distress |
| Wyoming | 3.0 | -0.3 | 4.3 | 22.5 | low state distress |
Red unemployment rates exceed the unrounded unweighted average across the 50 states and DC (4.0% when rounded). Red changes indicate increases; green changes indicate decreases, not statistical significance. A dash in the change column means the same month last year is unavailable and is excluded from mover rankings. State names link to foreclosure law guides.
The Geography of Labor Market Weakness
Unemployment is the ADI's most real-time component. BLS publishes state data monthly, while most other distress indicators arrive quarterly. But here's the part I think is underappreciated. States with low headline unemployment can still have high SNAP enrollment (widespread low-wage work), high delinquency (asset stress), or both. The headline rate tells you about job loss. It says nothing about whether the jobs that exist are enough to cover the bills. The states worth watching are the ones where labor market weakness compounds pre-existing leverage. Particularly in the Sun Belt corridor where rapid population growth, high housing costs, and elevated FHA concentration create a triple vulnerability that an unweighted average across the 50 states and DC cannot describe.
Data Sources
BLS LAUS
Seasonally adjusted monthly unemployment rates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics program, expressed as a percentage of each jurisdiction's labor force. Current rates use July 2026; year-over-year changes compare the same month in the prior year (July 2025), not December or an annual average. The unweighted average across the 50 states and DC is an ADR calculation, not the official US unemployment rate. Series IDs follow LASST + FIPS code + 0000000000003 format.
USDA FNS SNAP
SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) enrollment from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service State Activity Reports. Enrollment rates computed as SNAP persons divided by U.S. Census Bureau 2024 state population estimates.
Citation
Local Area Unemployment Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 2026. SNAP: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, August 2026. For state-level composite scores, see State Financial Distress Rankings and Default Rates by State.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which state has the highest unemployment rate in 2026?
The highest rate is 5.9% in District of Columbia as of July 2026. All jurisdictions tied at that rate are named. The unweighted average across the 50 states and DC is 4.0%, not the official US unemployment rate. The highest rate is 1.5 times that unrounded average.
Which state has the lowest unemployment?
The lowest rate is 2.0% in South Dakota as of July 2026. All jurisdictions tied at that rate are named.
How does state unemployment connect to the American Distress Index?
The national unemployment rate and initial jobless claims are the two inputs to the ADI's Labor domain; unemployment is also the Labor domain in the State Distress Index. States with persistently high unemployment also tend to show elevated delinquency rates, higher SNAP enrollment, and more bankruptcy filings. The ADI currently reads 43.8 (Typical). On average, its inputs sit higher than in 44% of their own quarterly histories.
Which state unemployment rate increased the most in the last year?
Connecticut recorded the largest increase, +1.3 percentage points, comparing July 2025 → July 2026. All jurisdictions tied for the largest increase are named. The largest decrease was -1.1 percentage points in New Jersey and Ohio, including all ties. 17 jurisdictions increased, 24 decreased, 10 were unchanged, and 0 had no same-month prior-year observation. Missing prior-year months are excluded; these differences are not tests of statistical significance.
Is there a correlation between unemployment and SNAP enrollment?
Yes, but the correlation is imperfect. Some states with moderate unemployment have high SNAP enrollment because of widespread low-wage work — not job loss. The combination of high unemployment and high SNAP enrollment signals compounding distress. Unemployment feeds the State Distress Index; SNAP enrollment does not, because it measures how much help arrives rather than how much need exists.