By Niccolo Conte Graphics/Design: Sabrina Lam
Mapped: Unemployment by State in 2025
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Key Takeaways
With the national unemployment rate at 4.1%, South Dakota (1.8%) recorded the lowest unemployment rate in the country.
Washington D.C. (5.9%) has the highest unemployment rate in the nation, rising sharply from 5.0% in early 2024.
The U.S. labor market remains resilient in 2025, but unemployment figures vary widely by state.
While the national unemployment rate stood at 4.1% in June, some regions are experiencing far higher (or far lower) joblessness.
This visualization highlights the unemployment rate by state using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for June 2025.
Washington D.C. Tops Unemployment by State
Washington D.C. tops the list with the highest unemployment rate at 5.9%, as seen in the data table below with the unemployment rate of every U.S. state (and D.C.).
The capital’s high rate marks a significant jump from 5.0% in early 2024, suggesting rising challenges in the capital’s job market amidst Trump’s layoffs across federal agencies.
Nevada (5.4%) and California (5.4%) follow closely behind, reflecting persistent difficulties in sectors like tourism, entertainment, and technology.
Michigan (5.3%) also ranks among the hardest hit, driven by weakness in manufacturing.
The States with the Lowest Unemployment Rates
At the other end of the spectrum, South Dakota recorded the lowest unemployment rate at just 1.8%.
North Dakota (2.5%) and Vermont (2.6%) also reported very low levels of unemployment, underscoring the relative strength of smaller state economies.
Montana and Hawaii, both at 2.8%, round out the bottom five, showing stability even in some tourism-driven markets.
While the U.S. national unemployment rate of 4.1% is slightly above the lows seen during the post-pandemic recovery, the range between the highest and lowest states—more than four percentage points—illustrates the uneven nature of the labor market in America.
Have You Seen James Corbett’s Interview of Etienne? How to Leave the Cage?
Etienne recently appeared on The Corbett Report with James Corbett to discuss his new book: To See the Cage is to Leave It – 25 Techniques the Few Use to Control the Many.
It is definitely one of Etienne’s best interviews ever! If you have ever wanted to share Etienne’s work with your friends, family or colleagues, this is the interview for you. You can get a copy of To See the Cage is to Leave It (press release) by “Going Paid” on Substack AND get access to all FOUR of the Art of Liberty’s Substacks: Important News from the Art of Liberty Foundation, The Daily News, The Daily News Digest, and Five Meme Friday. By “Going Paid” you can get access to the full transcript, all the slides, memes, and videos mentioned in the interview: How to Leave the Cage - James Corbett & Etienne de la Boetie2
The Best “Go Paid” Deal on Substack! You Get REAL Stuff!!
Go paid at the $5 a month level, and we will send you both the PDF and e-Pub versions of Etienne's new book: To See the Cage Is to Leave It - 25 Techniques the Few Use to Control the Many and a coupon code for 10% off anything in the https://artofliberty.org/store/.
Go paid at the $50 a year level, and we will send you a free paperback edition of Etienne’s new book: To See the Cage Is to Leave It - 25 Techniques the Few Use to Control the Many OR “Government” - The Biggest Scam in History… Exposed! OR a 64GB Liberator flash drive if you live in the US. If you are international, we will give you a $10 credit towards shipping if you agree to pay the remainder.
Support us at the $250 Founding Member Level and get a signed high-resolution hardcover of “Government” - The Biggest Scam in History... Exposed! + Liberator flash drive + a signed high-resolution hardcover of Etienne's new book: To See the Cage Is to Leave It - 25 Techniques the Few Use to Control the Many + everything else in our "Everything Bundle" of the best in voluntaryist thought delivered domestically. International pays shipping. Our only option for signed copies besides catching Etienne @ an event.
