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 April 2026, at 68.2%. West Virginia had the lowest, at 51.7%. The median was 59.6% and the figure for the United States was 59.1%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest68.2North Dakota
Lowest51.7West Virginia
Median59.651 states
United States59.1History

All states, April 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

North DakotaNorth Dakota: 68.2 %68.2NebraskaNebraska: 67.8 %67.8District of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia: 66.2 %66.2South DakotaSouth Dakota: 66 %66IowaIowa: 65.3 %65.3KansasKansas: 64.8 %64.8MinnesotaMinnesota: 64.4 %64.4UtahUtah: 64.2 %64.2ColoradoColorado: 63.5 %63.5New HampshireNew Hampshire: 63.2 %63.2AlaskaAlaska: 63.1 %63.1MassachusettsMassachusetts: 62.5 %62.5WisconsinWisconsin: 62.1 %62.1TexasTexas: 61.5 %61.5IndianaIndiana: 61.1 %61.1MarylandMaryland: 61.1 %61.1VermontVermont: 61.1 %61.1MissouriMissouri: 61 %61VirginiaVirginia: 61 %61IllinoisIllinois: 60.5 %60.5New JerseyNew Jersey: 60.4 %60.4NevadaNevada: 60.2 %60.2ConnecticutConnecticut: 60 %60Rhode IslandRhode Island: 60 %60IdahoIdaho: 59.9 %59.9MontanaMontana: 59.6 %59.6OhioOhio: 59.5 %59.5OklahomaOklahoma: 59.5 %59.5PennsylvaniaPennsylvania: 59.5 %59.5HawaiiHawaii: 59.2 %59.2OregonOregon: 59.2 %59.2WashingtonWashington: 59.2 %59.2New YorkNew York: 58.9 %58.9CaliforniaCalifornia: 58.8 %58.8WyomingWyoming: 58.8 %58.8GeorgiaGeorgia: 58.7 %58.7ArizonaArizona: 58.1 %58.1MaineMaine: 57.5 %57.5TennesseeTennessee: 57.5 %57.5MichiganMichigan: 57 %57ArkansasArkansas: 56.6 %56.6North CarolinaNorth Carolina: 56.6 %56.6LouisianaLouisiana: 56.2 %56.2South CarolinaSouth Carolina: 56.1 %56.1AlabamaAlabama: 55.7 %55.7DelawareDelaware: 55.7 %55.7KentuckyKentucky: 55.1 %55.1FloridaFlorida: 54.9 %54.9New MexicoNew Mexico: 54.4 %54.4MississippiMississippi: 53.3 %53.3West VirginiaWest Virginia: 51.7 %51.7
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankStatesApril 2026 (%)Change on April 2025
1North Dakota68.2+0.4 pts
2Nebraska67.8-0.1 pts
3District of Columbia66.2-1.9 pts
4South Dakota66-0.8 pts
5Iowa65.3-0.1 pts
6Kansas64.8-0.4 pts
7Minnesota64.4-1.4 pts
8Utah64.2-1.6 pts
9Colorado63.5-1.1 pts
10New Hampshire63.2-0.2 pts
11Alaska63.1+0.5 pts
12Massachusetts62.5-1.3 pts
13Wisconsin62.1-0.4 pts
14Texas61.5-0.7 pts
15Indiana61.1-0.5 pts
15Maryland61.1-1.1 pts
15Vermont61.1-1.6 pts
18Missouri610 pts
18Virginia61-1.4 pts
20Illinois60.5-1.1 pts
21New Jersey60.4+0.1 pts
22Nevada60.2+0.7 pts
23Connecticut60-1.9 pts
23Rhode Island60-1.4 pts
25Idaho59.9-1.3 pts
26Montana59.6-0.9 pts
27Ohio59.5-0.2 pts
27Oklahoma59.5-1.7 pts
27Pennsylvania59.5+0.6 pts
30Hawaii59.20 pts
30Oregon59.2-0.5 pts
30Washington59.2-0.8 pts
33New York58.9+0.5 pts
34California58.8-0.1 pts
34Wyoming58.8-1 pts
36Georgia58.7-0.1 pts
37Arizona58.1-1.4 pts
38Maine57.5-0.4 pts
38Tennessee57.5-0.9 pts
40Michigan57-1.4 pts
41Arkansas56.6+0.4 pts
41North Carolina56.6-0.7 pts
43Louisiana56.2+0.7 pts
44South Carolina56.1+0.3 pts
45Alabama55.7-0.3 pts
45Delaware55.7-1.5 pts
47Kentucky55.1-0.5 pts
48Florida54.9-0.9 pts
49New Mexico54.4-1 pts
50Mississippi53.3-0.3 pts
51West Virginia51.7-0.6 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 68.2% in April 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which state has the lowest employment-population ratio?

West Virginia, with 51.7% in April 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.

US states: more rankings