Looking to move for work? Massachusetts leads and West Virginia lags for job seekers in 2025, according to a new state-by-state ranking highlighted by Business Insider on November 1, 2025, as national data point to a cooling labor market.
WalletHub’s composite ranking, summarized by Business Insider, puts these states on top: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Texas, North Dakota, Maine, and Rhode Island.
At the other end: West Virginia, Louisiana, Kentucky, Alaska, Oregon, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Montana, Indiana, and Oklahoma.
National conditions have softened. There are now roughly as many job seekers as openings, with the openings-to-unemployed ratio dipping to about 0.98 in August 2025, according to reporting by Reuters. That marks a sharp turn from the tight labor market of the past two years.
State numbers help explain the ranking’s regional pattern. BLS data show New England and the Plains remain standouts for low joblessness: South Dakota’s unemployment rate was 1.9% in July and August 2025. South Dakota posts the nation’s lowest unemployment rate, while several New England states also sit below the national average, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. By contrast, California and D.C. remain among the highest jobless (California at 5.5% and the District of Columbia at 6.0% in August 2025), reflecting softer conditions in some large, service-heavy economies, BLS figures show. See the BLS July detail here: BLS Economics Daily.
For job seekers, the list is a useful directional guide to where searches may be easier or harder. Still, individual outcomes vary widely by industry and experience. Look beyond headline unemployment: check local demand in your occupation, wage levels, and cost of living. Massachusetts and Connecticut, for example, score well on job-market strength but have higher housing costs; parts of the Plains boast lower jobless rates and more attainable housing.
Methodology note: Business Insider’s summary draws on WalletHub’s 34-metric index of job-market strength and economic health. You can read the full state-by-state breakdown at Business Insider.