With the labor force participation rate rising to 62.8% in September (just 0.5% below where we were at the end of 2019), WalletHub today released its report on 2023’s States Where Employers Are Struggling the Most in Hiring.
In order to see where employers are struggling the most in hiring, the site compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on the rate of job openings for both the latest month and the last 12 months.
South Carolina was found to be the 3rd worst state in America when it comes to hiring, and North Carolina wasn’t far behind, coming in at #10.
States Where Employers Are Struggling the Most in Hiring
| Rank | State | Job Openings Rate (Latest Month) | Job Openings Rate (Last 12 Months) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | 10.60% | 8.13% |
| 2 | West Virginia | 7.10% | 7.71% |
| 3 | South Carolina | 7.10% | 7.18% |
| 4 | Georgia | 6.60% | 7.28% |
| 5 | New Mexico | 6.80% | 6.96% |
| 6 | Louisiana | 6.60% | 7.19% |
| 7 | Montana | 6.60% | 7.08% |
| 8 | Mississippi | 6.60% | 6.84% |
| 9 | Colorado | 6.50% | 6.88% |
| 10 | North Carolina | 6.50% | 6.86% |
| 11 | Utah | 7.10% | 6.13% |
| 12 | Delaware | 6.40% | 6.85% |
| 13 | Virginia | 6.20% | 7.06% |
| 14 | Minnesota | 6.70% | 6.41% |
| 15 | Tennessee | 6.30% | 6.82% |
| 16 | Oklahoma | 6.30% | 6.70% |
| 17 | Maryland | 6.20% | 6.70% |
| 18 | Arkansas | 6.20% | 6.66% |
| 19 | Idaho | 6.30% | 6.49% |
| 20 | Wyoming | 6.10% | 6.68% |
| 21 | Massachusetts | 6.10% | 6.61% |
| 22 | Illinois | 6.30% | 6.24% |
| 23 | Nevada | 6.20% | 6.26% |
| 24 | Kentucky | 5.90% | 6.54% |
| 25 | Arizona | 6.00% | 6.36% |
| 26 | New Hampshire | 5.80% | 6.53% |
| 27 | Alabama | 6.00% | 6.28% |
| 28 | North Dakota | 6.00% | 6.28% |
| 29 | Wisconsin | 5.80% | 6.39% |
| 30 | South Dakota | 6.10% | 5.98% |
| 31 | Rhode Island | 5.90% | 6.20% |
| 32 | Florida | 5.90% | 6.18% |
| 33 | Maine | 5.80% | 6.28% |
| 34 | Ohio | 5.90% | 6.11% |
| 35 | Vermont | 5.60% | 6.38% |
| 36 | Kansas | 5.90% | 6.01% |
| 37 | Missouri | 5.80% | 6.05% |
| 38 | Pennsylvania | 5.70% | 6.14% |
| 39 | Oregon | 5.60% | 6.01% |
| 40 | Iowa | 5.50% | 6.08% |
| 41 | Nebraska | 5.70% | 5.80% |
| 42 | Texas | 5.50% | 5.97% |
| 43 | Connecticut | 5.40% | 5.71% |
| 44 | Michigan | 5.10% | 5.83% |
| 45 | California | 5.30% | 5.53% |
| 46 | Hawaii | 5.40% | 5.27% |
| 47 | Indiana | 5.00% | 5.48% |
| 48 | Washington | 5.10% | 5.33% |
| 49 | District of Columbia | 4.80% | 5.23% |
| 50 | New Jersey | 4.60% | 5.28% |
| 51 | New York | 4.80% | 4.60% |
