# US unemployment fell in five states in September, BLS says

> The national jobless rate held at 4.2%; payroll employment rose in two states and fell in one.

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- Section: Economy
- Country: United States
- Published: 2026-10-21T00:44:04+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-21T00:44:04+00:00
- Event / data period: 2026-09
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Unemployment rates declined in five states in September and were stable in 45 states and the District of Columbia, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on 20 October. South Dakota had the lowest rate at 2.0%, while the District had the highest at 5.6%; the national rate was 4.2%.

Payroll employment increased in New Jersey and South Carolina, fell in Wisconsin and was essentially unchanged elsewhere. The BLS draws unemployment estimates largely from a household survey and payroll estimates from establishments, so the measures describe different populations and locations.

## Data

### September unemployment rates

BLS seasonally adjusted rates for September 2026.

Methodology: Labor-force rates published by BLS; household survey, by place of residence.

| Place | Unemployment rate (%) |
|---|---|
| United States | 4.2 |
| South Dakota | 2.0 |
| District of Columbia | 5.6 |

Sources: <https://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.nr0.htm> · Download data: [JSON](https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/us-state-unemployment-september-2026-bls/data/september-state-unemployment?lang=en&format=json) · [CSV](https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/us-state-unemployment-september-2026-bls/data/september-state-unemployment?lang=en&format=csv)

## Sources

- [U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics](<https://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.nr0.htm>) (Source checked: 2026-10-21; Published: 2026-10-20)

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