The Rational Moderate

States: work

Labor force participation rate, August 2026

Percent of the civilian noninstitutional population, seasonally adjusted. Select a state on the map or in the table for its profile.

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Labor force participation rate, August 2026, by state

Percent of the civilian population 16 and older. Shaded in five groups of about ten states each. Rank 1 is the highest value.

Percent of the civilian population 16 and older

United States (BLS Current Population Survey, FRED CIVPART): 61.6%

Data table

All 50 states and DC, A to Z. The source publishes no margin of error for this measure.

StateAugust 2026Rank (1 = highest)
Alabama56.8%48
Alaska65.5%9
Arizona59.9%37
Arkansas59.1%39
California61.5%29
Colorado65.3%10
Connecticut62.0%26
Delaware57.9%44
District of Columbia70.3%1
Florida57.4%47
Georgia61.0%35
Hawaii61.1%34
Idaho61.5%29
Illinois63.1%18
Indiana63.0%19
Iowa67.0%4
Kansas66.6%6
Kentucky57.8%45
Louisiana58.4%43
Maine58.6%42
Maryland63.7%15
Massachusetts65.3%10
Michigan58.8%40
Minnesota66.8%5
Mississippi54.7%50
Missouri63.3%17
Montana61.5%29
Nebraska69.3%2
Nevada62.6%21
New Hampshire64.8%12
New Jersey63.6%16
New Mexico56.7%49
New York61.3%32
North Carolina57.8%45
North Dakota69.0%3
Ohio61.3%32
Oklahoma61.9%28
Oregon62.5%23
Pennsylvania62.6%21
Rhode Island62.1%24
South Carolina58.8%40
South Dakota66.5%7
Tennessee59.2%38
Texas64.2%14
Utah66.3%8
Vermont62.1%24
Virginia62.8%20
Washington62.0%26
West Virginia53.8%51
Wisconsin64.7%13
Wyoming60.2%36

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS). LASST<FIPS>0000000000008 (labor force participation rate, seasonally adjusted), for example LASST060000000000008 · retrieved Oct. 2, 2026 · 51 rows · as of August 2026 · monthly. File: LASST<FIPS>0000000000008 (labor force participation rate, seasonally adjusted), for example LASST060000000000008. Download CSV

Highest to lowest

The source publishes no margin of error for this measure, so the ranks carry no test of whether neighbors really differ. Small gaps between states may be within the estimate’s ordinary error and revisions.

RankStateValue
1District of Columbia70.3%
2Nebraska69.3%
3North Dakota69.0%
4Iowa67.0%
5Minnesota66.8%
6Kansas66.6%
7South Dakota66.5%
8Utah66.3%
9Alaska65.5%
10Colorado65.3%
10Massachusetts65.3%
12New Hampshire64.8%
13Wisconsin64.7%
14Texas64.2%
15Maryland63.7%
16New Jersey63.6%
17Missouri63.3%
18Illinois63.1%
19Indiana63.0%
20Virginia62.8%
21Nevada62.6%
21Pennsylvania62.6%
23Oregon62.5%
24Rhode Island62.1%
24Vermont62.1%
26Connecticut62.0%
26Washington62.0%
28Oklahoma61.9%
29California61.5%
29Idaho61.5%
29Montana61.5%
32New York61.3%
32Ohio61.3%
34Hawaii61.1%
35Georgia61.0%
36Wyoming60.2%
37Arizona59.9%
38Tennessee59.2%
39Arkansas59.1%
40Michigan58.8%
40South Carolina58.8%
42Maine58.6%
43Louisiana58.4%
44Delaware57.9%
45Kentucky57.8%
45North Carolina57.8%
47Florida57.4%
48Alabama56.8%
49New Mexico56.7%
50Mississippi54.7%
51West Virginia53.8%
United States For reference, not ranked61.6%

About this measure

Period
August 2026
As of
, retrieved
Units
Percent of the civilian noninstitutional population, seasonally adjusted
Uncertainty
None published. BLS’s state figures come from statistical models and BLS publishes no state standard errors, so ranks carry no test. A missing margin does not mean the figure is exact.
Data
Download the CSV (all 50 states and DC, with the rank, the test and every input column)
  • BLS marks August 2026 preliminary for every state; it is revised the next month.
  • BLS published no state figures for October 2025, so each state’s monthly history has a gap there. BLS’s note: “Data unavailable due to the 2025 lapse in appropriations.”
  • U.S. value: The national rate comes from the CPS directly; state rates are LAUS model estimates.