Data / Rankings / Employment-population ratio / US states

US states by employment-population ratio

Nebraska had the highest employment-population ratio of 51 states in September 2025, at 68.1%. West Virginia had the lowest, at 52.1%. The median was 60.2% and the figure for the United States was 59.7%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest68.1Nebraska
Lowest52.1West Virginia
Median60.251 states
United States59.7History

All states, September 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

NebraskaNebraska: 68.1 %68.1North DakotaNorth Dakota: 68 %68South DakotaSouth Dakota: 66.8 %66.8District of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia: 66.7 %66.7MinnesotaMinnesota: 65.6 %65.6IowaIowa: 65.5 %65.5KansasKansas: 65.5 %65.5UtahUtah: 65.3 %65.3ColoradoColorado: 64.4 %64.4MassachusettsMassachusetts: 63.4 %63.4New HampshireNew Hampshire: 63.3 %63.3AlaskaAlaska: 62.7 %62.7TexasTexas: 62.1 %62.1VermontVermont: 62.1 %62.1WisconsinWisconsin: 62.1 %62.1VirginiaVirginia: 61.8 %61.8MarylandMaryland: 61.6 %61.6IndianaIndiana: 61.4 %61.4ConnecticutConnecticut: 61.3 %61.3Rhode IslandRhode Island: 61.2 %61.2MissouriMissouri: 61.1 %61.1IllinoisIllinois: 61 %61IdahoIdaho: 60.9 %60.9OklahomaOklahoma: 60.8 %60.8MontanaMontana: 60.2 %60.2New JerseyNew Jersey: 60.2 %60.2NevadaNevada: 59.9 %59.9OregonOregon: 59.7 %59.7WashingtonWashington: 59.7 %59.7OhioOhio: 59.6 %59.6ArizonaArizona: 59.4 %59.4HawaiiHawaii: 59.3 %59.3WyomingWyoming: 59.2 %59.2CaliforniaCalifornia: 59 %59PennsylvaniaPennsylvania: 58.9 %58.9GeorgiaGeorgia: 58.7 %58.7New YorkNew York: 58.5 %58.5TennesseeTennessee: 58.5 %58.5MaineMaine: 57.8 %57.8MichiganMichigan: 57.8 %57.8North CarolinaNorth Carolina: 57.1 %57.1DelawareDelaware: 56.7 %56.7ArkansasArkansas: 56.4 %56.4AlabamaAlabama: 56 %56KentuckyKentucky: 55.7 %55.7LouisianaLouisiana: 55.7 %55.7South CarolinaSouth Carolina: 55.7 %55.7FloridaFlorida: 55.2 %55.2New MexicoNew Mexico: 55.1 %55.1MississippiMississippi: 53.7 %53.7West VirginiaWest Virginia: 52.1 %52.1
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankStatesSeptember 2025 (%)Change on September 2024
1Nebraska68.1+0.5 pts
2North Dakota68+0.3 pts
3South Dakota66.80 pts
4District of Columbia66.7-2 pts
5Minnesota65.6-0.4 pts
6Iowa65.5+0.7 pts
6Kansas65.5+0.5 pts
8Utah65.3-0.9 pts
9Colorado64.4-0.5 pts
10Massachusetts63.4-0.4 pts
11New Hampshire63.3-0.5 pts
12Alaska62.7+0.5 pts
13Texas62.1-0.1 pts
13Vermont62.1-1.3 pts
13Wisconsin62.1-1.2 pts
16Virginia61.8-1.3 pts
17Maryland61.6-1.4 pts
18Indiana61.4+0.1 pts
19Connecticut61.3-1 pts
20Rhode Island61.2-0.4 pts
21Missouri61.1-0.1 pts
22Illinois61-0.8 pts
23Idaho60.9-0.7 pts
24Oklahoma60.8-0.3 pts
25Montana60.2-0.9 pts
25New Jersey60.2-0.7 pts
27Nevada59.9+0.5 pts
28Oregon59.7-0.2 pts
28Washington59.7-0.6 pts
30Ohio59.6-0.4 pts
31Arizona59.4-0.1 pts
32Hawaii59.3+0.6 pts
33Wyoming59.2-1.5 pts
34California59+0.1 pts
35Pennsylvania58.9-0.5 pts
36Georgia58.7-0.6 pts
37New York58.5+0.2 pts
37Tennessee58.5+0.5 pts
39Maine57.8-0.5 pts
39Michigan57.8-1.1 pts
41North Carolina57.1-0.8 pts
42Delaware56.7-0.9 pts
43Arkansas56.4+0.1 pts
44Alabama56+0.1 pts
45Kentucky55.7+0.2 pts
45Louisiana55.7+0.1 pts
45South Carolina55.7-0.2 pts
48Florida55.2-1.1 pts
49New Mexico55.1-0.2 pts
50Mississippi53.7+0.1 pts
51West Virginia52.1-0.7 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.

Use this data in your AI agent

Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:

Rank US states by employment-population ratio using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"employment_population_ratio","level":"region","within":"United States","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=employment_population_ratio&level=region&within=United%20States&limit=10

Connect Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor in one step. The trial answers 25 calls a day without an account.

Questions

Which state has the highest employment-population ratio?

Nebraska, with 68.1% in September 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which state has the lowest employment-population ratio?

West Virginia, with 52.1% in September 2025.

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.

US states: more rankings