Where you look matters. New BLS data show where jobs are easiest—and hardest—to land, offering a snapshot of which state labor markets currently favor job seekers and where conditions are tightest for applicants.
To keep this comparable across all 50 states, we ranked markets by the latest state unemployment rates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. July 2025 is the most recent month with a full, comparable state-by-state table, and August’s release kept the same bookends (lowest and highest), reinforcing the picture. Nationally, job openings have cooled, with 7.2 million vacancies in August, roughly unchanged on the month. (bls.gov)
Based on July 2025 unemployment rates, the 10 easiest labor markets for job seekers are: South Dakota, North Dakota, Vermont, Hawaii, Montana, Nebraska, Alabama, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin. South Dakota’s jobless rate: 1.9%, followed by North Dakota (2.5%) and Vermont (2.6%). Hawaii (2.7%) and Montana (2.8%) round out the top five, while Nebraska and Alabama sit at 3.0%, with New Hampshire, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin at 3.1%. These figures signal labor markets where employers have struggled to fill roles and candidates often have multiple options. (bls.gov)
The most challenging places to land a job, by the highest unemployment rates, are led by Washington, D.C., at 6.0%, then California (5.5%), Nevada (5.4%), and Michigan (5.3%). They’re followed by Oregon and Ohio (5.0% each), New Jersey and Kentucky (4.9%), and Massachusetts and Rhode Island (4.8%). Several states cluster just behind them in the mid–4% range. August data kept D.C. at the top and South Dakota at the bottom, underscoring the same extremes. (bls.gov)
State jobless rates move for different reasons—industry mix, migration, and local demand among them—but for candidates, they’re a clean read on how competitive a market feels. The national backdrop is softening: openings are far below the 2022 peak, quits have cooled, and the ratio of openings to unemployed workers is hovering near one-to-one, a more balanced market than the red‑hot years that followed the pandemic. Job openings held at about 7.2 million in August, reflecting steadier—but slower—demand. (bls.gov)
These rankings can shift month to month. If you’re planning a move or targeting new roles, pair this top‑line view with industry‑specific trends in your field and local wage data. The BLS will update state unemployment figures again soon, and that will be the next read on whether today’s leaders (and laggards) hold their spots. (bls.gov)