The U.S. unemployment rate has been edging back toward pre-pandemic levels in recent months, falling to 3.9% in December 2021 compared to 3.5% in February 2020. Joblessness varies by industry and region, but overall, the country’s job market is much better off than it was during and shortly after the pandemic-induced recession of 2020. (These are the states with the most job openings.)
Still, the labor force participation rate – the share of Americans 16 and older either working or looking for work – is well below pre-pandemic levels, amidst what’s been dubbed the Great Resignation. Also, the U.S. is still about 2.9 million jobs shy of the over 20 million jobs lost in March April of 2020. (These are states where the most people are quitting their jobs.)
Conditions also vary by state, both the overall labor market, and specifically where demand for workers is greatest. To determine the industries that are hiring the most in every state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed a report from career intelligence platform Lensa. The platform reviewed the total number of job postings by state five broad industries – computer and mathematical, health care practitioners and technical, management, office and administrative support, transportation and material moving – through the second half of 2021. 2019 unemployment rate came from the Census Bureau.
Those who are looking for work or looking to switch jobs for better pay and benefits may want to consider office administration in New Hampshire or Utah; a transportation and materials moving occupation in Minnesota or Nebraska; or management in Massachusetts or Colorado.
Companies that are most popular among applicants include well-known brands like Amazon, FedEx, and Walmart, as well as lesser known names like Virtual Vocations, a platform for people seeking remote work-from-home jobs, and LiveOps, a contact-center company that utilizes independent contractors.
The top two largest states by population, California and Texas, are also the states with the most job listings, but New York state claims third place despite having a smaller population than Florida. Vermont, Iowa, and Wyoming are the top three states when considering job opportunities per person.
Click here to see every state’s best-hiring industry in 2022
Source: Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images
Alabama
> Industry hiring the most: Transportation and material moving
> Overall unique job listings: 188,120
> Median household income: $51,734
> Unemployment rate: 4.9%
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Alaska
> Industry hiring the most: Healthcare practitioners and technical
> Overall unique job listings: 27,730
> Median household income: $75,463
> Unemployment rate: 5.5%
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Source: Davel5957 / iStock via Getty Images
Arizona
> Industry hiring the most: Management
> Overall unique job listings: 198,954
> Median household income: $62,055
> Unemployment rate: 5.0%
Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
Arkansas
> Industry hiring the most: Transportation and material moving
> Overall unique job listings: 164,386
> Median household income: $48,952
> Unemployment rate: 4.8%
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Source: DutcherAerials / E+ via Getty Images
California
> Industry hiring the most: Management
> Overall unique job listings: 1,288,465
> Median household income: $80,440
> Unemployment rate: 5.0%
Source: Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images
Colorado
> Industry hiring the most: Management
> Overall unique job listings: 214,426
> Median household income: $77,127
> Unemployment rate: 3.6%
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Connecticut
> Industry hiring the most: Office and administrative support
> Overall unique job listings: 141,608
> Median household income: $78,833
> Unemployment rate: 5.3%
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Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
Delaware
> Industry hiring the most: Management
> Overall unique job listings: 39,573
> Median household income: $70,176
> Unemployment rate: 4.6%
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
Florida
> Industry hiring the most: Management
> Overall unique job listings: 596,741
> Median household income: $59,227
> Unemployment rate: 4.5%
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Georgia
> Industry hiring the most: Computer and mathematical
> Overall unique job listings: 405,803
> Median household income: $61,980
> Unemployment rate: 4.7%
Source: okimo / iStock via Getty Images
Hawaii
> Industry hiring the most: Office and administrative support
> Overall unique job listings: 36,789
> Median household income: $83,102
> Unemployment rate: 3.6%
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Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
Idaho
> Industry hiring the most: Office and administrative support
> Overall unique job listings: 55,396
> Median household income: $60,999
> Unemployment rate: 3.3%
Source: Gian Lorenzo Ferretti Photography / E+ via Getty Images
Illinois
> Industry hiring the most: Transportation and material moving
> Overall unique job listings: 585,454
> Median household income: $69,187
> Unemployment rate: 4.8%
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
Indiana
> Industry hiring the most: Transportation and material moving
> Overall unique job listings: 328,125
> Median household income: $57,603
> Unemployment rate: 4.2%
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Source: pabradyphoto / iStock via Getty Images
Iowa
> Industry hiring the most: Transportation and material moving
> Overall unique job listings: 227,603
> Median household income: $61,691
> Unemployment rate: 3.7%
Source: TriggerPhoto / iStock via Getty Images
Kansas
> Industry hiring the most: Transportation and material moving
> Overall unique job listings: 146,523
> Median household income: $62,087
> Unemployment rate: 3.7%
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Source: alexeys / iStock via Getty Images
Kentucky
> Industry hiring the most: Transportation and material moving
> Overall unique job listings: 232,586
> Median household income: $52,295
> Unemployment rate: 4.8%
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Source: Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images
Louisiana
> Industry hiring the most: Management
> Overall unique job listings: 140,931
> Median household income: $51,073
> Unemployment rate: 5.4%
Source: Ultima_Gaina / iStock via Getty Images
Maine
> Industry hiring the most: Office and administrative support
> Overall unique job listings: 55,187
> Median household income: $58,924
> Unemployment rate: 3.4%
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Source: ChrisBoswell / iStock via Getty Images
Maryland
> Industry hiring the most: Computer and mathematical
> Overall unique job listings: 281,569
> Median household income: $86,738
> Unemployment rate: 4.5%
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images
Massachusetts
> Industry hiring the most: Management
> Overall unique job listings: 359,199
> Median household income: $85,843
> Unemployment rate: 3.9%
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Michigan
> Industry hiring the most: Office and administrative support
> Overall unique job listings: 322,434
> Median household income: $59,584
> Unemployment rate: 5.0%
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Minnesota
> Industry hiring the most: Transportation and material moving
> Overall unique job listings: 209,489
> Median household income: $74,593
> Unemployment rate: 3.2%
Source: Willard / iStock via Getty Images
Mississippi
> Industry hiring the most: Transportation and material moving
> Overall unique job listings: 123,539
> Median household income: $45,792
> Unemployment rate: 6.5%
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Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
Missouri
> Industry hiring the most: Transportation and material moving
> Overall unique job listings: 273,761
> Median household income: $57,409
> Unemployment rate: 3.8%
Source: peeterv / iStock via Getty Images
Montana
> Industry hiring the most: Transportation and material moving
> Overall unique job listings: 42,362
> Median household income: $57,153
> Unemployment rate: 4.0%
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Nebraska
> Industry hiring the most: Transportation and material moving
> Overall unique job listings: 93,355
> Median household income: $63,229
> Unemployment rate: 3.3%
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Nevada
> Industry hiring the most: Management
> Overall unique job listings: 68,540
> Median household income: $63,276
> Unemployment rate: 5.0%
Source: DenisTangneyJr / E+ via Getty Images
New Hampshire
> Industry hiring the most: Office and administrative support
> Overall unique job listings: 61,667
> Median household income: $77,933
> Unemployment rate: 3.0%
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Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images
New Jersey
> Industry hiring the most: Management
> Overall unique job listings: 402,638
> Median household income: $85,751
> Unemployment rate: 4.7%
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
New Mexico
> Industry hiring the most: Healthcare practitioners and technical
> Overall unique job listings: 66,324
> Median household income: $51,945
> Unemployment rate: 5.4%
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New York
> Industry hiring the most: Management
> Overall unique job listings: 719,492
> Median household income: $72,108
> Unemployment rate: 4.4%
Source: Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images
North Carolina
> Industry hiring the most: Management
> Overall unique job listings: 362,255
> Median household income: $57,341
> Unemployment rate: 4.5%
Source: Nathan Livedalen / iStock via Getty Images
North Dakota
> Industry hiring the most: Transportation and material moving
> Overall unique job listings: 41,946
> Median household income: $64,577
> Unemployment rate: 2.6%
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Source: pawel.gaul / E+ via Getty Images
Ohio
> Industry hiring the most: Transportation and material moving
> Overall unique job listings: 486,164
> Median household income: $58,642
> Unemployment rate: 4.6%
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
Oklahoma
> Industry hiring the most: Transportation and material moving
> Overall unique job listings: 144,738
> Median household income: $54,449
> Unemployment rate: 4.3%
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Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
Oregon
> Industry hiring the most: Management
> Overall unique job listings: 148,130
> Median household income: $67,058
> Unemployment rate: 5.0%
Source: Ultima_Gaina / iStock via Getty Images
Pennsylvania
> Industry hiring the most: Transportation and material moving
> Overall unique job listings: 619,240
> Median household income: $63,463
> Unemployment rate: 4.5%
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
Rhode Island
> Industry hiring the most: Computer and mathematical
> Overall unique job listings: 46,834
> Median household income: $71,169
> Unemployment rate: 4.2%
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Source: Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images
South Carolina
> Industry hiring the most: Management
> Overall unique job listings: 176,013
> Median household income: $56,227
> Unemployment rate: 4.6%
Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
South Dakota
> Industry hiring the most: Transportation and material moving
> Overall unique job listings: 46,256
> Median household income: $59,533
> Unemployment rate: 3.0%
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Source: Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images
Tennessee
> Industry hiring the most: Transportation and material moving
> Overall unique job listings: 237,490
> Median household income: $56,071
> Unemployment rate: 4.5%
Source: f11photo / iStock via Getty Images
Texas
> Industry hiring the most: Computer and mathematical
> Overall unique job listings: 845,920
> Median household income: $64,034
> Unemployment rate: 4.4%
Source: DenisTangneyJr / E+ via Getty Images
Utah
> Industry hiring the most: Office and administrative support
> Overall unique job listings: 109,354
> Median household income: $75,780
> Unemployment rate: 3.2%
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Source: haveseen / iStock via Getty Images
Vermont
> Industry hiring the most: Transportation and material moving
> Overall unique job listings: 38,853
> Median household income: $63,001
> Unemployment rate: 3.4%
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images
Virginia
> Industry hiring the most: Computer and mathematical
> Overall unique job listings: 360,630
> Median household income: $76,456
> Unemployment rate: 3.9%
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Source: roman_slavik / iStock via Getty Images
Washington
> Industry hiring the most: Office and administrative support
> Overall unique job listings: 276,246
> Median household income: $78,687
> Unemployment rate: 4.5%
Source: ChrisBoswell / iStock via Getty Images
West Virginia
> Industry hiring the most: Transportation and material moving
> Overall unique job listings: 114,327
> Median household income: $48,850
> Unemployment rate: 6.0%
Source: Ron and Patty Thomas / E+ via Getty Images
Wisconsin
> Industry hiring the most: Transportation and material moving
> Overall unique job listings: 248,947
> Median household income: $64,168
> Unemployment rate: 3.2%
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Source: DenisTangneyJr / E+ via Getty Images
Wyoming
> Industry hiring the most: Computer and mathematical
> Overall unique job listings: 28,429
> Median household income: $65,003
> Unemployment rate: 3.5%
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