Data / Rankings / Job creation rate / US states

US states by job creation rate

Arizona had the highest job creation rate of 51 states in 2018, at 14.583%. South Dakota had the lowest, at 10.252%. The median was 12.212% and the figure for the United States was 12.789%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest14.583Arizona
Lowest10.252South Dakota
Median12.21251 states
United States12.789History

Map of states, 2018

Alabama: 12.185 %Alaska: 11.981 %Arizona: 14.583 %Arkansas: 11.997 %California: 13.544 %Colorado: 13.992 %Connecticut: 11.199 %Delaware: 12.976 %District of Columbia: 12.212 %Florida: 14.149 %Georgia: 13.904 %Hawaii: 11.362 %Idaho: 14.489 %Illinois: 11.926 %Indiana: 12.25 %Iowa: 10.685 %Kansas: 11.556 %Kentucky: 11.873 %Louisiana: 12.046 %Maine: 11.046 %Maryland: 12.243 %Massachusetts: 12.154 %Michigan: 12.53 %Minnesota: 11.772 %Mississippi: 11.09 %Missouri: 11.843 %Montana: 12.118 %Nebraska: 11.962 %Nevada: 13.837 %New Hampshire: 11.843 %New Jersey: 12.889 %New Mexico: 11.775 %New York: 12.527 %North Carolina: 12.89 %North Dakota: 12.487 %Ohio: 11.909 %Oklahoma: 13.385 %Oregon: 12.531 %Pennsylvania: 11.177 %Rhode Island: 12.376 %South Carolina: 13.653 %South Dakota: 10.252 %Tennessee: 11.766 %Texas: 14.036 %Utah: 14.373 %Vermont: 10.632 %Virginia: 12.727 %Washington: 13.631 %West Virginia: 12.479 %Wisconsin: 11.263 %Wyoming: 14.034 %
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%, 2018. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: job creation rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2018

Arizona: 14.583 %Arizona14.583Idaho: 14.489 %Idaho14.489Utah: 14.373 %Utah14.373Florida: 14.149 %Florida14.149Texas: 14.036 %Texas14.036Wyoming: 14.034 %Wyoming14.034Colorado: 13.992 %Colorado13.992Georgia: 13.904 %Georgia13.904Nevada: 13.837 %Nevada13.837South Carolina: 13.653 %South Carolina13.653Washington: 13.631 %Washington13.631California: 13.544 %California13.544Oklahoma: 13.385 %Oklahoma13.385Delaware: 12.976 %Delaware12.976North Carolina: 12.89 %North Carolina12.89New Jersey: 12.889 %New Jersey12.889Virginia: 12.727 %Virginia12.727Oregon: 12.531 %Oregon12.531Michigan: 12.53 %Michigan12.53New York: 12.527 %New York12.527North Dakota: 12.487 %North Dakota12.487West Virginia: 12.479 %West Virginia12.479Rhode Island: 12.376 %Rhode Island12.376Indiana: 12.25 %Indiana12.25Maryland: 12.243 %Maryland12.243District of Columbia: 12.212 %District of Columbia12.212Alabama: 12.185 %Alabama12.185Massachusetts: 12.154 %Massachusetts12.154Montana: 12.118 %Montana12.118Louisiana: 12.046 %Louisiana12.046Arkansas: 11.997 %Arkansas11.997Alaska: 11.981 %Alaska11.981Nebraska: 11.962 %Nebraska11.962Illinois: 11.926 %Illinois11.926Ohio: 11.909 %Ohio11.909Kentucky: 11.873 %Kentucky11.873Missouri: 11.843 %Missouri11.843New Hampshire: 11.843 %New Hampshire11.843New Mexico: 11.775 %New Mexico11.775Minnesota: 11.772 %Minnesota11.772Tennessee: 11.766 %Tennessee11.766Kansas: 11.556 %Kansas11.556Hawaii: 11.362 %Hawaii11.362Wisconsin: 11.263 %Wisconsin11.263Connecticut: 11.199 %Connecticut11.199Pennsylvania: 11.177 %Pennsylvania11.177Mississippi: 11.09 %Mississippi11.09Maine: 11.046 %Maine11.046Iowa: 10.685 %Iowa10.685Vermont: 10.632 %Vermont10.632South Dakota: 10.252 %South Dakota10.252Arizona: 14.583 %Arizona14.583Idaho: 14.489 %Idaho14.489Utah: 14.373 %Utah14.373Florida: 14.149 %Florida14.149Texas: 14.036 %Texas14.036Wyoming: 14.034 %Wyoming14.034Colorado: 13.992 %Colorado13.992Georgia: 13.904 %Georgia13.904Nevada: 13.837 %Nevada13.837South Carolina: 13.653 %South Carolina13.653Washington: 13.631 %Washington13.631California: 13.544 %California13.544Oklahoma: 13.385 %Oklahoma13.385Delaware: 12.976 %Delaware12.976North Carolina: 12.89 %North Carolina12.89New Jersey: 12.889 %New Jersey12.889Virginia: 12.727 %Virginia12.727Oregon: 12.531 %Oregon12.531Michigan: 12.53 %Michigan12.53New York: 12.527 %New York12.527North Dakota: 12.487 %North Dakota12.487West Virginia: 12.479 %West Virginia12.479Rhode Island: 12.376 %Rhode Island12.376Indiana: 12.25 %Indiana12.25Maryland: 12.243 %Maryland12.243District of Columbia: 12.212 %District of Columbia12.212Alabama: 12.185 %Alabama12.185Massachusetts: 12.154 %Massachusetts12.154Montana: 12.118 %Montana12.118Louisiana: 12.046 %Louisiana12.046Arkansas: 11.997 %Arkansas11.997Alaska: 11.981 %Alaska11.981Nebraska: 11.962 %Nebraska11.962Illinois: 11.926 %Illinois11.926Ohio: 11.909 %Ohio11.909Kentucky: 11.873 %Kentucky11.873Missouri: 11.843 %Missouri11.843New Hampshire: 11.843 %New Hampshire11.843New Mexico: 11.775 %New Mexico11.775Minnesota: 11.772 %Minnesota11.772Tennessee: 11.766 %Tennessee11.766Kansas: 11.556 %Kansas11.556Hawaii: 11.362 %Hawaii11.362Wisconsin: 11.263 %Wisconsin11.263Connecticut: 11.199 %Connecticut11.199Pennsylvania: 11.177 %Pennsylvania11.177Mississippi: 11.09 %Mississippi11.09Maine: 11.046 %Maine11.046Iowa: 10.685 %Iowa10.685Vermont: 10.632 %Vermont10.632South Dakota: 10.252 %South Dakota10.252
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: job creation rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2018 (%)Change on 2017
1Arizona14.583-0.27 pts
2Idaho14.489+0.41 pts
3Utah14.373-0.09 pts
4Florida14.149-0.75 pts
5Texas14.036-1.04 pts
6Wyoming14.034+1.37 pts
7Colorado13.992-1.15 pts
8Georgia13.904-0.6 pts
9Nevada13.837-0.64 pts
10South Carolina13.653+0.24 pts
11Washington13.631-0.52 pts
12California13.544-1.37 pts
13Oklahoma13.385+0.44 pts
14Delaware12.976-0.79 pts
15North Carolina12.89-0.3 pts
16New Jersey12.889-1.16 pts
17Virginia12.727-0.08 pts
18Oregon12.531-1.45 pts
19Michigan12.53-0 pts
20New York12.527-0.67 pts
21North Dakota12.487+0.41 pts
22West Virginia12.479+1.5 pts
23Rhode Island12.376+0.44 pts
24Indiana12.25-0.47 pts
25Maryland12.243-1.5 pts
26District of Columbia12.212-0.01 pts
27Alabama12.185-0.98 pts
28Massachusetts12.154-0.25 pts
29Montana12.118-0.95 pts
30Louisiana12.046-0.6 pts
31Arkansas11.997-1.33 pts
32Alaska11.981-1.05 pts
33Nebraska11.962-0.05 pts
34Illinois11.926-0.31 pts
35Ohio11.909-0.64 pts
36Kentucky11.873-1.08 pts
37Missouri11.843-1.09 pts
37New Hampshire11.843+0.18 pts
39New Mexico11.775-0.37 pts
40Minnesota11.772-0.75 pts
41Tennessee11.766-1.38 pts
42Kansas11.556-1.03 pts
43Hawaii11.362-2.03 pts
44Wisconsin11.263-0.71 pts
45Connecticut11.199-1.17 pts
46Pennsylvania11.177-1.01 pts
47Mississippi11.09-0.48 pts
48Maine11.046-0.55 pts
49Iowa10.685-0.62 pts
50Vermont10.632-0.38 pts
51South Dakota10.252-1.13 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Jobs added at opening and expanding establishments during the year, as a percentage of average employment in the two years. United States: Census Bureau Business Dynamics Statistics.

A gross flow: jobs lost elsewhere are not subtracted, so the net change is this rate minus job_destruction_rate. Not the same as payroll job growth from the monthly employment surveys. The year is the twelve months to March: 2023 compares March 2022 with March 2023.

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. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics: job creation rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2025). Business Dynamics Statistics: job creation rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010 (US states by job creation rate, 2018) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st.csv

MLA 9

Business Dynamics Statistics: job creation rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010, US states by job creation rate, 2018. U.S. Census Bureau, 25 Sept. 2025, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/job-creation-rate/us-states?period=2018. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2025. Business Dynamics Statistics: job creation rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. US states by job creation rate, 2018. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/job-creation-rate/us-states?period=2018.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2025) Business Dynamics Statistics: job creation rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010, US states by job creation rate, 2018 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/job-creation-rate/us-states?period=2018 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_us_states_by_job_2018,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Business Dynamics Statistics: job creation rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010: US states by job creation rate, 2018}},
  year = {2025},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/job-creation-rate/us-states?period=2018. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics: job creation rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023\_st.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Business Dynamics Statistics: job creation rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010: US states by job creation rate, 2018
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/09/25
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/job-creation-rate/us-states?period=2018
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/job-creation-rate/us-states?period=2018.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics: job creation rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which state has the highest job creation rate?

Arizona, with 14.583% in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest job creation rate?

South Dakota, with 10.252% in 2018.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: job creation rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Job creation rate: other rankings

US states: more rankings