Data / Rankings / Employment-population ratio / US states

US states by employment-population ratio, August 2026

North Dakota had the highest employment-population ratio of 51 states in August 2026, at 67.5%. West Virginia had the lowest, at 51.6%. The median was 59.5% and the figure for the United States was 59.1%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest67.5North Dakota
Lowest51.6West Virginia
Median59.551 states
United States59.1History

All states, August 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

North DakotaNorth Dakota: 67.5 %67.5NebraskaNebraska: 67.3 %67.3District of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia: 66.2 %66.2South DakotaSouth Dakota: 65.2 %65.2IowaIowa: 64.9 %64.9KansasKansas: 64.1 %64.1UtahUtah: 64 %64MinnesotaMinnesota: 63.8 %63.8New HampshireNew Hampshire: 63.1 %63.1AlaskaAlaska: 62.7 %62.7ColoradoColorado: 62.7 %62.7WisconsinWisconsin: 62.6 %62.6MassachusettsMassachusetts: 62.5 %62.5TexasTexas: 61.3 %61.3MarylandMaryland: 61.1 %61.1IndianaIndiana: 61 %61MissouriMissouri: 61 %61New JerseyNew Jersey: 60.8 %60.8VirginiaVirginia: 60.6 %60.6VermontVermont: 60.5 %60.5PennsylvaniaPennsylvania: 60.2 %60.2IllinoisIllinois: 60.1 %60.1Rhode IslandRhode Island: 59.8 %59.8HawaiiHawaii: 59.5 %59.5MontanaMontana: 59.5 %59.5NevadaNevada: 59.5 %59.5IdahoIdaho: 59.3 %59.3OklahomaOklahoma: 59.3 %59.3OregonOregon: 59.3 %59.3OhioOhio: 59.2 %59.2GeorgiaGeorgia: 59 %59WashingtonWashington: 59 %59ConnecticutConnecticut: 58.8 %58.8New YorkNew York: 58.6 %58.6WyomingWyoming: 58.4 %58.4CaliforniaCalifornia: 58.3 %58.3TennesseeTennessee: 57.2 %57.2ArizonaArizona: 56.9 %56.9ArkansasArkansas: 56.8 %56.8MaineMaine: 56.7 %56.7South CarolinaSouth Carolina: 56.4 %56.4LouisianaLouisiana: 56 %56MichiganMichigan: 55.9 %55.9North CarolinaNorth Carolina: 55.8 %55.8DelawareDelaware: 55.2 %55.2KentuckyKentucky: 55.1 %55.1AlabamaAlabama: 54.9 %54.9FloridaFlorida: 54.8 %54.8New MexicoNew Mexico: 54 %54MississippiMississippi: 52.9 %52.9West VirginiaWest Virginia: 51.6 %51.6
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankStatesAugust 2026 (%)Change on August 2025
1North Dakota Provisional67.5-0.4 pts
2Nebraska Provisional67.3-0.8 pts
3District of Columbia Provisional66.2-0.7 pts
4South Dakota Provisional65.2-1.6 pts
5Iowa Provisional64.9-0.5 pts
6Kansas Provisional64.1-1.3 pts
7Utah Provisional64-1.4 pts
8Minnesota Provisional63.8-1.8 pts
9New Hampshire Provisional63.1-0.2 pts
10Alaska Provisional62.7+0.1 pts
10Colorado Provisional62.7-1.7 pts
12Wisconsin Provisional62.6+0.5 pts
13Massachusetts Provisional62.5-1 pts
14Texas Provisional61.3-0.8 pts
15Maryland Provisional61.1-0.7 pts
16Indiana Provisional61-0.4 pts
16Missouri Provisional610 pts
18New Jersey Provisional60.8+0.7 pts
19Virginia Provisional60.6-1.3 pts
20Vermont Provisional60.5-1.8 pts
21Pennsylvania Provisional60.2+1.4 pts
22Illinois Provisional60.1-1 pts
23Rhode Island Provisional59.8-1.5 pts
24Hawaii Provisional59.5+0.2 pts
24Montana Provisional59.5-0.7 pts
24Nevada Provisional59.5-0.2 pts
27Idaho Provisional59.3-1.6 pts
27Oklahoma Provisional59.3-1.7 pts
27Oregon Provisional59.3-0.4 pts
30Ohio Provisional59.2-0.4 pts
31Georgia Provisional59+0.3 pts
31Washington Provisional59-0.8 pts
33Connecticut Provisional58.8-2.6 pts
34New York Provisional58.6+0.2 pts
35Wyoming Provisional58.4-0.9 pts
36California Provisional58.3-0.7 pts
37Tennessee Provisional57.2-1.3 pts
38Arizona Provisional56.9-2.5 pts
39Arkansas Provisional56.8+0.5 pts
40Maine Provisional56.7-1.1 pts
41South Carolina Provisional56.4+0.7 pts
42Louisiana Provisional56+0.4 pts
43Michigan Provisional55.9-2.1 pts
44North Carolina Provisional55.8-1.3 pts
45Delaware Provisional55.2-1.6 pts
46Kentucky Provisional55.1-0.5 pts
47Alabama Provisional54.9-1 pts
48Florida Provisional54.8-0.5 pts
49New Mexico Provisional54-1.2 pts
50Mississippi Provisional52.9-0.8 pts
51West Virginia Provisional51.6-0.5 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Employed people as a percentage of the civilian noninstitutional population aged 16 and older.

Seasonally adjusted. US national figures come from the Current Population Survey; state figures are LAUS model-based estimates. The population excludes active-duty military personnel and people living in institutions. The age range and population scope differ from the existing employment-rate indicator.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the states are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment-population ratio, civilian noninstitutional population aged 16 and over, seasonally adjusted, state LAUS measure 07. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.3.AllStatesS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which state has the highest employment-population ratio?

North Dakota, with 67.5% in August 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which state has the lowest employment-population ratio?

West Virginia, with 51.6% in August 2026.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment-population ratio, civilian noninstitutional population aged 16 and over, seasonally adjusted, state LAUS measure 07. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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