With the labor force participation rate at 62.6% and many employers still facing labor shortages, WalletHub today released its report on 2025’s States Where Employers Are Struggling the Most in Hiring.
In order to see where employers are having the most trouble hiring new workers, WalletHub 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 4th worst state in the nation, and North Carolina didn’t fair much better, coming in as the 13th.
States Where Employers Are Struggling the Most in Hiring
| Rank | State | Job Openings Rate (Latest Month) | Job Openings Rate (Last 12 Months) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kentucky | 6.50% | 6.08% |
| 2 | Alaska | 6.00% | 6.71% |
| 3 | West Virginia | 5.90% | 6.11% |
| 4 | South Carolina | 5.70% | 5.97% |
| 5 | Arkansas | 5.70% | 5.65% |
| 6 | Virginia | 5.60% | 5.79% |
| 7 | Georgia | 5.70% | 5.35% |
| 8 | Oklahoma | 5.40% | 5.82% |
| 9 | New Mexico | 5.40% | 5.72% |
| 10 | Louisiana | 5.40% | 5.53% |
| 11 | Alabama | 5.40% | 5.35% |
| 12 | Missouri | 5.40% | 5.28% |
| 13 | North Carolina | 5.40% | 5.27% |
| 14 | Delaware | 5.20% | 5.46% |
| 15 | Montana | 5.00% | 5.81% |
| 16 | Minnesota | 5.20% | 5.36% |
| 17 | North Dakota | 5.20% | 5.31% |
| 18 | Maryland | 4.80% | 5.87% |
| 19 | Rhode Island | 5.00% | 5.29% |
| 20 | Mississippi | 4.90% | 5.42% |
| 21 | Maine | 4.90% | 5.38% |
| 22 | Massachusetts | 5.00% | 5.13% |
| 23 | Arizona | 5.00% | 5.12% |
| 24 | Wyoming | 4.80% | 5.39% |
| 25 | South Dakota | 4.90% | 5.09% |
| 26 | Ohio | 5.00% | 4.74% |
| 27 | New Hampshire | 4.80% | 5.05% |
| 28 | Vermont | 4.80% | 4.94% |
| 29 | Kansas | 4.80% | 4.83% |
| 30 | Nebraska | 4.80% | 4.61% |
| 31 | Oregon | 4.50% | 5.13% |
| 32 | Wisconsin | 4.60% | 4.88% |
| 33 | Colorado | 4.10% | 5.80% |
| 34 | New York | 4.70% | 4.60% |
| 35 | Indiana | 4.70% | 4.53% |
| 36 | Illinois | 4.40% | 5.03% |
| 37 | Idaho | 4.30% | 5.14% |
| 38 | Tennessee | 4.40% | 4.91% |
| 39 | Florida | 4.30% | 4.74% |
| 40 | Pennsylvania | 4.30% | 4.72% |
| 41 | Nevada | 4.30% | 4.62% |
| 42 | Michigan | 4.20% | 4.72% |
| 43 | New Jersey | 4.20% | 4.67% |
| 44 | District of Columbia | 4.20% | 4.63% |
| 45 | Connecticut | 4.10% | 4.67% |
| 46 | Iowa | 4.20% | 4.47% |
| 47 | Utah | 4.00% | 4.73% |
| 48 | Texas | 4.00% | 4.56% |
| 49 | Washington | 3.80% | 4.17% |
| 50 | Hawaii | 3.60% | 4.08% |
| 51 | California | 3.40% | 3.63% |
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