In the December 2024 ranking of the unemployment rates in the United States' larger metropolitan areas, the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minnesota metro area had the lowest rate, at 2.5 percent. In the same period, the unemployment rate was highest in the Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, Nevada metro area at 5.9 percent.

In 2023, El Centro in California had the highest unemployment rate of any metro area at 17.3 percent unemployment. Yuma metro area in Arizona had the second-highest unemployment rate. 11 out of the top 20 areas by unemployment rate were in California.

In December 2024, Nevada had the highest unemployment rate in the United States, with an unemployment rate of 5.7. The unemployment rate was also high in the District of Columbia, with an unemployment rate of 5.6 percent in December. Unemployment in the U.S. A person is considered unemployed if they have no job and are currently looking for a job and available to work. The unemployment rate in the United States varies across states. Nation-wide unemployment was 3.4 percent as of April 2023. Unemployment can be affected by various factors including economic conditions and global competition. During economic prosperity, unemployment rates generally decrease and during times of recession, rates increase. The seasons can also have an impact on the unemployment rate, especially during winter, when there is lower demand for construction workers or other professionals who typically work outdoors. The retail sector also experiences fluctuating demand for workers, particularly during the holiday-shopping season, when demand for workers increases. For this reason, labor statistics are usually presented as being either seasonally adjusted or unadjusted. The data presented in this statistic have been seasonally adjusted, but the monthly unadjusted unemployment rate can be accessed here.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate in Yuba City, CA (MSA) (LAUMT064970000000003A) from 1990 to 2024 about Yuba City, CA, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - Black or African American (LNS14000006) from Jan 1972 to Jul 2025 about African-American, 16 years +, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

This layer contains the latest 14 months of unemployment statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The data is offered at the nationwide, state, and county geography levels. Puerto Rico is included. These are not seasonally adjusted values. The layer is updated monthly with the newest unemployment statistics available from BLS. There are attributes in the layer that specify which month is associated to each statistic. Most current month: June 2025 (preliminary values at the state and county level) The attributes included for each month are:Unemployment rate (%)Count of unemployed populationCount of employed population in the labor forceCount of people in the labor forceData obtained from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Data downloaded: August 14, 2025Local Area Unemployment Statistics table download: https://www.bls.gov/lau/#tablesLocal Area Unemployment FTP downloads:State and County NationData Notes:This layer is updated automatically when the BLS releases their most current monthly statistics. The layer always contains the most recent estimates. It is updated within days of the BLS"s county release schedule. BLS releases their county statistics roughly 2 months after-the-fact. The data is joined to 2023 TIGER boundaries from the U.S. Census Bureau.Monthly values are subject to revision over time.For national values, employed plus unemployed may not sum to total labor force due to rounding.As of the January 2022 estimates released on March 18th, 2022, BLS is reporting new data for the two new census areas in Alaska - Copper River and Chugach - and historical data for the previous census area - Valdez Cordova. As of the March 17th, 2025 release, BLS now reports data for 9 planning regions in Connecticut rather than the 8 previous counties. To better understand the different labor force statistics included in this map, see the diagram below from BLS:

Unemployment Rate in Iowa City, IA (MSA) was 3.00% in May of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Unemployment Rate in Iowa City, IA (MSA) reached a record high of 9.50 in April of 2020 and a record low of 1.60 in October of 2018. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Unemployment Rate in Iowa City, IA (MSA) - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on July of 2025.

Unemployment Rate in Baltimore City, MD was 4.00% in January of 2024, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Unemployment Rate in Baltimore City, MD reached a record high of 11.40 in January of 2010 and a record low of 2.90 in January of 2023. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Unemployment Rate in Baltimore City, MD - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on July of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate in San Francisco County/City, CA (CASANF0URN) from Jan 1990 to Jun 2025 about San Francisco County/City, CA; San Francisco; CA; unemployment; rate; and USA.

This horizontal bar chart displays unemployment (% of total labor force) by capital city using the aggregation average in the United States. The data is about countries per year.

Unemployment Rate in Manassas Park City, VA was 2.40% in January of 2024, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Unemployment Rate in Manassas Park City, VA reached a record high of 6.80 in January of 2020 and a record low of 1.20 in January of 1999. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Unemployment Rate in Manassas Park City, VA - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on August of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate in Oklahoma City, OK (MSA) (OKLA440UR) from Jan 1990 to Jun 2025 about Oklahoma City, OK, unemployment, rate, and USA.

2020 data excluded because the U.S. Census Bureau did not release 2020 ACS 1-year estimates due to COVID-19. Some racial and ethnic categories are suppressed to avoid misleading estimates when the relative standard error exceeds 30%.

Data Source: American Community Survey (ACS) 1-Year Estimates

Why This Matters

Employment is the main source of income for most people. For many families and individuals, unemployment threatens access to basic needs, such as food, housing, transportation, health care, and education, among others.

Nationally, Black workers and workers of color, on average, experience persistently higher unemployment rates than white workers. Racist policies and practices, including segregation, employment discrimination, and inequities in the criminal justice system have undermined job security for workers of color.

The District's Response

Initiatives that support residents in career advancement and their efforts to secure sustainable employment through education and training support, such as Career MAP, Advanced Technical Centers (ATC), and the DC Infrastructure Academy, among other programs and services.

Administering federal and local safety net programs that provide temporary cash and health benefits to help residents experiencing unemployment and related economic hardship meet their basic needs, including unemployment insurance, Medicaid, TANF For District Families, SNAP, etc.

Programs to remove barriers employment for returning citizens, such as Pathways to Work and the Returning Citizens Access to Jobs Grant.

Unemployment Rate in Falls Church City, VA was 2.40% in January of 2024, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Unemployment Rate in Falls Church City, VA reached a record high of 7.00 in January of 2009 and a record low of 1.30 in January of 1999. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Unemployment Rate in Falls Church City, VA - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on July of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate in Baltimore City, MD (MDBALT5URN) from Jan 1990 to Jun 2025 about Baltimore City, MD; Baltimore; MD; unemployment; rate; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate in New York (NYUR) from Jan 1976 to Jun 2025 about NY, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate in Kansas City, MO-KS (MSA) (KANS129UR) from Jan 1990 to Jun 2025 about Kansas City, KS, MO, unemployment, rate, and USA.

In 2023, South Africa had the highest unemployment rate in the world, at 32.1 percent. Of the 10 countries with the highest unemployment rates, six were in Sub-Saharan Africa. What exactly is unemployment? The unemployment rate is the number of people in the workforce currently looking for jobs but not working. This number does not include students and retirees, as they are not looking for work, nor does it include people who have given up on finding a job (known as discouraged workers). Comparing international unemployment rates can be problematic, however, as different countries use different methodologies when classifying unemployment. For example, Niger records the third lowest unemployment rate in the world, despite often being listed as the least developed country worldwide - this is because the majority of the population engage in subsistence farming, with very little opportunity for paid employment. Causes of unemployment in less developed countries A major driver in unemployment in these countries is conflict. In particular, internally displaced persons (IDPs) want to work, but moving to another part of the country disrupts their business network and moves them into a local economy with different labor demand. Countries with low levels of economic development, as roughly indicated by a low GDP per capita, often have fewer labor market opportunities, leading to high unemployment rates.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate in Los Angeles County, CA (CALOSA7URN) from Jan 1990 to Jun 2025 about Los Angeles County, CA; Los Angeles; CA; unemployment; rate; and USA.

Denver County, CO - Unemployment Rate in Denver County/City, CO was 4.60% in May of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Denver County, CO - Unemployment Rate in Denver County/City, CO reached a record high of 13.10 in May of 2020 and a record low of 2.10 in April of 2017. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Denver County, CO - Unemployment Rate in Denver County/City, CO - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on August of 2025.