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 June 2026, at 67.9%. West Virginia had the lowest, at 51.6%. The median was 59.5% and the figure for the United States was 59%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest67.9North Dakota
Lowest51.6West Virginia
Median59.551 states
United States59History

All states, June 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

North DakotaNorth Dakota: 67.9 %67.9NebraskaNebraska: 67.5 %67.5District of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia: 66.1 %66.1South DakotaSouth Dakota: 65.7 %65.7IowaIowa: 65.1 %65.1KansasKansas: 64.4 %64.4MinnesotaMinnesota: 64.1 %64.1UtahUtah: 63.9 %63.9New HampshireNew Hampshire: 63.2 %63.2ColoradoColorado: 63 %63AlaskaAlaska: 62.9 %62.9MassachusettsMassachusetts: 62.4 %62.4WisconsinWisconsin: 62.3 %62.3TexasTexas: 61.4 %61.4IndianaIndiana: 61.1 %61.1MarylandMaryland: 61.1 %61.1MissouriMissouri: 61 %61VirginiaVirginia: 60.8 %60.8New JerseyNew Jersey: 60.6 %60.6VermontVermont: 60.6 %60.6IllinoisIllinois: 60.3 %60.3PennsylvaniaPennsylvania: 59.9 %59.9NevadaNevada: 59.8 %59.8Rhode IslandRhode Island: 59.7 %59.7IdahoIdaho: 59.6 %59.6MontanaMontana: 59.5 %59.5OhioOhio: 59.4 %59.4HawaiiHawaii: 59.3 %59.3OklahomaOklahoma: 59.3 %59.3ConnecticutConnecticut: 59.2 %59.2OregonOregon: 59.2 %59.2WashingtonWashington: 59.1 %59.1GeorgiaGeorgia: 58.9 %58.9New YorkNew York: 58.7 %58.7CaliforniaCalifornia: 58.6 %58.6WyomingWyoming: 58.6 %58.6ArizonaArizona: 57.4 %57.4TennesseeTennessee: 57.3 %57.3MaineMaine: 57.2 %57.2ArkansasArkansas: 56.8 %56.8MichiganMichigan: 56.5 %56.5South CarolinaSouth Carolina: 56.3 %56.3North CarolinaNorth Carolina: 56.2 %56.2LouisianaLouisiana: 56 %56DelawareDelaware: 55.5 %55.5AlabamaAlabama: 55.2 %55.2FloridaFlorida: 54.9 %54.9KentuckyKentucky: 54.8 %54.8New MexicoNew Mexico: 54.1 %54.1MississippiMississippi: 53.1 %53.1West VirginiaWest Virginia: 51.6 %51.6
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankStatesJune 2026 (%)Change on June 2025
1North Dakota67.9+0.2 pts
2Nebraska67.5-0.5 pts
3District of Columbia66.1-1.5 pts
4South Dakota65.7-1.1 pts
5Iowa65.1-0.2 pts
6Kansas64.4-0.9 pts
7Minnesota64.1-1.6 pts
8Utah63.9-1.6 pts
9New Hampshire63.2-0.1 pts
10Colorado63-1.5 pts
11Alaska62.9+0.4 pts
12Massachusetts62.4-1.3 pts
13Wisconsin62.30 pts
14Texas61.4-0.7 pts
15Indiana61.1-0.4 pts
15Maryland61.1-0.9 pts
17Missouri610 pts
18Virginia60.8-1.3 pts
19New Jersey60.6+0.5 pts
19Vermont60.6-1.9 pts
21Illinois60.3-1.1 pts
22Pennsylvania59.9+1.1 pts
23Nevada59.8+0.3 pts
24Rhode Island59.7-1.7 pts
25Idaho59.6-1.4 pts
26Montana59.5-0.9 pts
27Ohio59.4-0.2 pts
28Hawaii59.3+0.1 pts
28Oklahoma59.3-1.9 pts
30Connecticut59.2-2.4 pts
30Oregon59.2-0.4 pts
32Washington59.1-0.8 pts
33Georgia58.9+0.2 pts
34New York58.7+0.4 pts
35California58.6-0.3 pts
35Wyoming58.6-0.9 pts
37Arizona57.4-2 pts
38Tennessee57.3-1.1 pts
39Maine57.2-0.6 pts
40Arkansas56.8+0.6 pts
41Michigan56.5-1.7 pts
42South Carolina56.3+0.7 pts
43North Carolina56.2-0.9 pts
44Louisiana56+0.6 pts
45Delaware55.5-1.5 pts
46Alabama55.2-0.7 pts
47Florida54.9-0.6 pts
48Kentucky54.8-0.8 pts
49New Mexico54.1-1.2 pts
50Mississippi53.1-0.5 pts
51West Virginia51.6-0.6 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 67.9% in June 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which state has the lowest employment-population ratio?

West Virginia, with 51.6% in June 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