Unemployment rates were higher in December in 6 states and stable in 44 states and the District of Columbia, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate increases from December 2024, the largest of which were in Delaware (+1.6 percentage points) and the District (+1.4 points). Eight states had over-the-year rate decreases, the largest of which was in Indiana (-0.9 percentage point). The next largest decreases occurred in Colorado, Hawaii, and Kentucky (-0.8 percentage point each). The national unemployment rate, 4.4 percent, changed little over the month but was 0.3 percentage point higher than in December 2024.

In December 2025, nonfarm payroll employment was essentially unchanged in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 8 states, decreased in the District, and was essentially unchanged in 42 states. The largest job gains occurred in Texas (+132,500), North Carolina (+80,700), and Pennsylvania (+76,600). The largest percentage increases occurred in Missouri (+1.8 percent), North Carolina (+1.6 percent), and South Carolina (+1.4 percent). Employment decreased in the District (-32,400, or -4.2 percent).