Labor Force Participation Rate by State 2025

What this chart shows. The share of people aged 16 and over who were working or looking for work in each state in 2025. The District of Columbia had the highest rate at 72.2 per cent, followed by Nebraska at 70.1 and North Dakota at 69.7; West Virginia had the lowest at 54.5 per cent, after Mississippi at 55.8.

How the data is collected. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Local Area Unemployment Statistics program, which estimates state figures with statistical models that combine its national household survey, payroll data and unemployment insurance claims. The rate is the labour force, the employed plus the unemployed, divided by the civilian population aged 16 and over living outside institutions.

Background. The gap between the highest and lowest state is 17.7 percentage points. Participation depends heavily on age structure: states with more retirees have lower rates even when jobs are plentiful.

Limits. Participation rates are annual averages and are not adjusted for age, so they partly reflect how old each state's population is rather than how willing people are to work.