Data / Rankings / Labor force participation rate / US states

US states by labor force participation rate

District of Columbia had the highest labor force participation rate of 51 states in March 2026, at 70.8%. West Virginia had the lowest, at 54.3%. The median was 62.5% and the figure for the United States was 61.9%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest70.8District of Columbia
Lowest54.3West Virginia
Median62.551 states
United States61.9History

All states, March 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

District of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia: 70.8 %70.8North DakotaNorth Dakota: 70.1 %70.1NebraskaNebraska: 70 %70IowaIowa: 67.7 %67.7KansasKansas: 67.6 %67.6MinnesotaMinnesota: 67.6 %67.6South DakotaSouth Dakota: 67.6 %67.6UtahUtah: 67.1 %67.1ColoradoColorado: 66.3 %66.3AlaskaAlaska: 66.2 %66.2MassachusettsMassachusetts: 65.8 %65.8New HampshireNew Hampshire: 65.3 %65.3TexasTexas: 64.4 %64.4WisconsinWisconsin: 64.4 %64.4IllinoisIllinois: 64 %64MarylandMaryland: 63.9 %63.9NevadaNevada: 63.7 %63.7VirginiaVirginia: 63.6 %63.6ConnecticutConnecticut: 63.5 %63.5MissouriMissouri: 63.5 %63.5New JerseyNew Jersey: 63.5 %63.5IndianaIndiana: 63.3 %63.3Rhode IslandRhode Island: 63.2 %63.2VermontVermont: 62.9 %62.9OregonOregon: 62.6 %62.6WashingtonWashington: 62.5 %62.5IdahoIdaho: 62.4 %62.4OklahomaOklahoma: 62.4 %62.4CaliforniaCalifornia: 62.3 %62.3OhioOhio: 62.1 %62.1MontanaMontana: 62 %62PennsylvaniaPennsylvania: 62 %62New YorkNew York: 61.8 %61.8ArizonaArizona: 61.4 %61.4WyomingWyoming: 61.1 %61.1GeorgiaGeorgia: 60.8 %60.8HawaiiHawaii: 60.6 %60.6MichiganMichigan: 60.3 %60.3TennesseeTennessee: 60 %60MaineMaine: 59.5 %59.5ArkansasArkansas: 59.2 %59.2DelawareDelaware: 59.1 %59.1North CarolinaNorth Carolina: 59 %59South CarolinaSouth Carolina: 58.9 %58.9LouisianaLouisiana: 58.7 %58.7FloridaFlorida: 57.7 %57.7KentuckyKentucky: 57.7 %57.7AlabamaAlabama: 57.5 %57.5New MexicoNew Mexico: 57.4 %57.4MississippiMississippi: 55.5 %55.5West VirginiaWest Virginia: 54.3 %54.3
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankStatesMarch 2026 (%)Change on March 2025
1District of Columbia70.8-1.9 pts
2North Dakota70.1+0.5 pts
3Nebraska70+0.1 pts
4Iowa67.7-0.1 pts
5Kansas67.6-0.1 pts
5Minnesota67.6-0.7 pts
5South Dakota67.6-0.6 pts
8Utah67.1-1.1 pts
9Colorado66.3-1.2 pts
10Alaska66.2+0.7 pts
11Massachusetts65.8-0.9 pts
12New Hampshire65.3-0.2 pts
13Texas64.4-0.5 pts
13Wisconsin64.4-0.3 pts
15Illinois64-0.6 pts
16Maryland63.9-0.8 pts
17Nevada63.7+0.9 pts
18Virginia63.6-1 pts
19Connecticut63.5-0.9 pts
19Missouri63.5-0.1 pts
19New Jersey63.5-0.1 pts
22Indiana63.3-0.7 pts
23Rhode Island63.2-1.1 pts
24Vermont62.9-1.6 pts
25Oregon62.6-0.2 pts
26Washington62.5-0.4 pts
27Idaho62.4-1.2 pts
27Oklahoma62.4-0.7 pts
29California62.30 pts
30Ohio62.1-0.7 pts
31Montana62-0.4 pts
31Pennsylvania62+0.5 pts
33New York61.8+0.9 pts
34Arizona61.4-0.7 pts
35Wyoming61.1-0.8 pts
36Georgia60.8-0.1 pts
37Hawaii60.6-0.1 pts
38Michigan60.3-1.4 pts
39Tennessee60-0.5 pts
40Maine59.5-0.5 pts
41Arkansas59.2+0.7 pts
42Delaware59.1-0.8 pts
43North Carolina59-0.6 pts
44South Carolina58.9+0.6 pts
45Louisiana58.7+0.7 pts
46Florida57.7-0.3 pts
46Kentucky57.7-0.6 pts
48Alabama57.5-0.2 pts
49New Mexico57.4-0.4 pts
50Mississippi55.5-0.4 pts
51West Virginia54.3-0.2 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

The labor force, comprising employed and unemployed 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 activity-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. Labor force participation rate, civilian noninstitutional population aged 16 and over, seasonally adjusted, state LAUS measure 08. 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 labor force participation rate?

District of Columbia, with 70.8% in March 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which state has the lowest labor force participation rate?

West Virginia, with 54.3% in March 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, Labor force participation rate, civilian noninstitutional population aged 16 and over, seasonally adjusted, state LAUS measure 08. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

US states: more rankings