Data / Rankings / Employment-population ratio / US states

US states by employment-population ratio

North Dakota had the highest employment-population ratio of 51 states in February 2026, at 68.3%. West Virginia had the lowest, at 51.9%. The median was 60.2% and the figure for the United States was 59.3%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest68.3North Dakota
Lowest51.9West Virginia
Median60.251 states
United States59.3History

All states, February 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

North DakotaNorth Dakota: 68.3 %68.3NebraskaNebraska: 67.9 %67.9District of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia: 66.4 %66.4South DakotaSouth Dakota: 66.3 %66.3IowaIowa: 65.5 %65.5KansasKansas: 65.2 %65.2MinnesotaMinnesota: 64.9 %64.9UtahUtah: 64.8 %64.8ColoradoColorado: 64 %64New HampshireNew Hampshire: 63.2 %63.2AlaskaAlaska: 63 %63MassachusettsMassachusetts: 62.9 %62.9WisconsinWisconsin: 62.2 %62.2TexasTexas: 61.8 %61.8VermontVermont: 61.5 %61.5IndianaIndiana: 61.3 %61.3VirginiaVirginia: 61.3 %61.3MarylandMaryland: 61.2 %61.2MissouriMissouri: 61.1 %61.1ConnecticutConnecticut: 60.8 %60.8IllinoisIllinois: 60.8 %60.8Rhode IslandRhode Island: 60.5 %60.5IdahoIdaho: 60.4 %60.4NevadaNevada: 60.3 %60.3New JerseyNew Jersey: 60.3 %60.3OklahomaOklahoma: 60.2 %60.2MontanaMontana: 59.9 %59.9OhioOhio: 59.5 %59.5OregonOregon: 59.5 %59.5WashingtonWashington: 59.4 %59.4HawaiiHawaii: 59.3 %59.3PennsylvaniaPennsylvania: 59.3 %59.3CaliforniaCalifornia: 59.1 %59.1WyomingWyoming: 59 %59ArizonaArizona: 58.9 %58.9New YorkNew York: 58.9 %58.9GeorgiaGeorgia: 58.6 %58.6TennesseeTennessee: 58.1 %58.1MaineMaine: 57.7 %57.7MichiganMichigan: 57.4 %57.4North CarolinaNorth Carolina: 56.9 %56.9ArkansasArkansas: 56.6 %56.6LouisianaLouisiana: 56.2 %56.2DelawareDelaware: 56.1 %56.1AlabamaAlabama: 56 %56South CarolinaSouth Carolina: 55.9 %55.9KentuckyKentucky: 55.5 %55.5FloridaFlorida: 55 %55New MexicoNew Mexico: 54.8 %54.8MississippiMississippi: 53.5 %53.5West VirginiaWest Virginia: 51.9 %51.9
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankStatesFebruary 2026 (%)Change on February 2025
1North Dakota68.3+0.5 pts
2Nebraska67.9+0.1 pts
3District of Columbia66.4-2.1 pts
4South Dakota66.3-0.5 pts
5Iowa65.5+0.2 pts
6Kansas65.2+0.1 pts
7Minnesota64.9-1.1 pts
8Utah64.8-1.2 pts
9Colorado64-0.7 pts
10New Hampshire63.2-0.3 pts
11Alaska63+0.5 pts
12Massachusetts62.9-1 pts
13Wisconsin62.2-0.5 pts
14Texas61.8-0.5 pts
15Vermont61.5-1.4 pts
16Indiana61.3-0.2 pts
16Virginia61.3-1.3 pts
18Maryland61.2-1.3 pts
19Missouri61.10 pts
20Connecticut60.8-1.3 pts
20Illinois60.8-0.9 pts
22Rhode Island60.5-1 pts
23Idaho60.4-0.9 pts
24Nevada60.3+0.8 pts
24New Jersey60.3-0.1 pts
26Oklahoma60.2-1 pts
27Montana59.9-0.7 pts
28Ohio59.5-0.3 pts
28Oregon59.5-0.2 pts
30Washington59.4-0.7 pts
31Hawaii59.3+0.2 pts
31Pennsylvania59.3+0.3 pts
33California59.1+0.2 pts
34Wyoming59-1 pts
35Arizona58.9-0.6 pts
35New York58.9+0.5 pts
37Georgia58.6-0.3 pts
38Tennessee58.1-0.3 pts
39Maine57.7-0.3 pts
40Michigan57.4-1.1 pts
41North Carolina56.9-0.5 pts
42Arkansas56.6+0.4 pts
43Louisiana56.2+0.7 pts
44Delaware56.1-1.2 pts
45Alabama560 pts
46South Carolina55.90 pts
47Kentucky55.50 pts
48Florida55-1 pts
49New Mexico54.8-0.7 pts
50Mississippi53.5-0.2 pts
51West Virginia51.9-0.5 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 68.3% in February 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which state has the lowest employment-population ratio?

West Virginia, with 51.9% in February 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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