Changes in U.S. Unemployment by State · A K-Shaped Labor Map
Between January 2025 and May 2026 more than half of U.S. states saw unemployment rise, and the national rate ticked up about 0.3 points — but the map split sharply. Connecticut rose the most (+1.8 pp), with Sun Belt states like Florida (+1.3) and Arizona (+0.9) softening as housing cooled. The Great Lakes bucked the trend: Indiana (-1.1) and Ohio (-0.9) fell, helped by steadier manufacturing. Texas was roughly flat at +0.2.
Why this matters for B2B
For wholesalers, a state's labor trend is an early read on local demand and hiring. The Great Lakes' resilience fits the wider reshoring story — steadier factory work supports household spending on tools, packaging and building materials. Where the Sun Belt cooled with housing, home-goods and furniture demand can soften too. Read alongside state manufacturing dependence, 2025 reshoring, and our U.S. market hub.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (change in unemployment rate, Jan 2025-May 2026). Visualization: Visual Capitalist / Voronoi. Original infographic reproduced above with source attribution intact.