State and Metro Employment: Second Quarter 2026

Employment Growth in the Second Quarter of 2026

National employment growth in the second quarter of 2026 accelerated slightly to 0.3% compared with one year ago. According to editorial research analyzed by Groundwork, This aggregate figure conceals wide variation in job growth across U.S. states: 38 states experienced job growth, while 12 states plus the District of Columbia experienced job losses relative to one year ago. The median state experienced job growth of roughly 0.4%. in addition, 25 states experienced growth above the median, highlighting growing resilience.

State-Level Employment Growth

The FRED map above shows the percent change from a year ago in employment in each state during the second quarter. Minnesota and Nevada had the strongest growth, with net job gains of 1.4% and 2%, respectively. The District of Columbia and Montana had the largest net job losses, at -4.8% and -1%, respectively.

Top 5 States with Strongest Job Growth

1. Nevada: 2% net job gain
2. Minnesota: 1.4% net job gain
3. Utah: 1.2% net job gain
4. Colorado: 1.1% net job gain
5. Washington: 1% net job gain

Bottom 5 States with Largest Job Losses

1. District of Columbia: -4.8% net job loss
2. Montana: -1% net job loss
3. Wyoming: -0.8% net job loss
4. Alaska: -0.7% net job loss
5. North Dakota: -0.6% net job loss

Metro-Level Employment Growth

At the metro level, job growth on average displayed weaker trends than the state-level data, with the median MSA experiencing a slight job gain of 0.2% in the second quarter of 2026 relative to one year ago. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls, Iowa, MSA had the largest net job loss at -3.2%. In contrast, the Sandusky, Ohio, MSA had the strongest job growth, at 5%. These numbers tend to vary greatly from quarter to quarter, with even greater sampling errors than the errors at the state and national levels. So, be careful not to read too much into these data.

Top 5 MSAs with Strongest Job Growth

1. Sandusky, Ohio: 5% net job gain
2. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: 3.5% net job gain
3. Columbus, Ohio: 3.2% net job gain
4. Indianapolis, Indiana: 3.1% net job gain
5. Cincinnati, Ohio: 3% net job gain

Bottom 5 MSAs with Largest Job Losses

1. Waterloo-Cedar Falls, Iowa: -3.2% net job loss
2. Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, Iowa: -2.5% net job loss
3. Des Moines-West Des Moines, Iowa: -2.2% net job loss
4. Omaha-Council Bluffs, Nebraska: -2.1% net job loss
5. Kansas City, Missouri: -2% net job loss

Creating FRED Maps

To create FRED maps, search FRED for "total nonfarm employees in Missouri" (or any other state). Click "View Map" and then "Edit Map." Change the units to "Percent Change from Year Ago" and the frequency to quarterly with aggregation method "End of Period." Under "Format,