STATE EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT — NOVEMBER 2025 - BLS
Bureau of Labor Statistics - Press Release
Wednesday, January 7, 2026
Unemployment rates were higher in November than a year earlier in 16 states and the District of Columbia, lower in 8 states, and little different in 26 states, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. October 2025 data from the household survey were not collected due to the lapse in federal appropriations; therefore, the unemployment analysis in this news release includes over-the-year changes only. The national unemployment rate, 4.6 percent, was 0.4 percentage point higher than in November 2024.
In November 2025, nonfarm payroll employment was essentially unchanged in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 12 states, decreased in the District, and was essentially unchanged in 38 states.
This news release presents statistics from two monthly programs. The civilian labor force and unemployment data are modeled based largely on a survey of households. These data pertain to people by where they reside. The employment data are from an establishment survey that measures nonfarm employment, hours, and earnings by industry. These data pertain to jobs on payrolls defined by where the establishments are located. For more information about the concepts and statistical methodologies used by these two programs, see the Technical Note.
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