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From July 2026 to August 2026, unemployment rates fell in 28 states, rose in 4 and were unchanged in 19.
Rates fell 0.2 points in District of Columbia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island, the largest monthly decline.
Counts include the District of Columbia and use published one-decimal rates. A 0.1-point move may not be statistically meaningful.
More urban nonmetro counties had the largest typical decline in unemployment rates: down 0.3 percentage points from July 2025 to July 2026. The other 5 county types each had a typical decline of 0.2 points.
Typical means the median county in each group. County rates are not seasonally adjusted, so the same month is compared a year apart.
In the week ending October 3, 2026, 197,000 people filed new U.S. unemployment claims, down 2,000 (1.0%) from the prior week. Over the latest four weeks, claims averaged 198,000 per week, down 4.0% from the four weeks before.
Claims count new applications for unemployment benefits, not everyone who is unemployed.
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U.S. rate: BLS Current Population Survey, September 2026, seasonally adjusted. State rates: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, August 2026, seasonally adjusted. County rates: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, July 2026, not seasonally adjusted. U.S. claims: U.S. Department of Labor, week ending October 3, 2026, seasonally adjusted.