Unemployment Rate Comparison
Income

Alaska vs California: Unemployment Rate

Alaska has a lower unemployment rate than California.

Alaska flag
Alaska
AK • West
Winner
4.8%
Seasonally adjusted unemployment rate (BLS, December 2025).
California flag
California
CA • West
5.5%
Seasonally adjusted unemployment rate (BLS, December 2025).

Visual Comparison

Alaska 4.8%
California 5.5%

Difference: 0.70 percentage points — Alaska leads.

National Rankings

Where They Rank Nationally

See where both states fall among all 50 states for unemployment rate.

Alaska #43 · 4.8%
California #50 · 5.5%
Best Worst

10 Best States — Unemployment Rate

Lower is better
#1 Hawaii flag Hawaii
2.2%
#2 South Dakota flag South Dakota
2.2%
#3 North Dakota flag North Dakota
2.6%
#4 Vermont flag Vermont
2.6%
#5 Alabama flag Alabama
2.7%
#6 Nebraska flag Nebraska
3.0%
#7 New Hampshire flag New Hampshire
3.1%
#8 Wisconsin flag Wisconsin
3.1%
#9 Maine flag Maine
3.2%
#10 Mississippi flag Mississippi
3.4%
Selected states
#43 Alaska flag Alaska
4.8%
#50 California flag California
5.5%

Alaska ranks 43rd and California ranks 50th nationally for unemployment rate.

Related Context

Jobs Picture

Unemployment is one signal — the employment ratio and job growth round out the full picture.

What This Means

Alaska vs California: Unemployment Rate in context

Alaska has a unemployment rate of 4.8%, compared with 5.5% in California. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rate (BLS, December 2025).

Alaska
4.8%
California
5.5%
Difference
0.70 percentage points

People Also Ask

Alaska vs California Unemployment Rate — Common Questions

Q What is Alaska's unemployment rate?

Alaska's unemployment rate is 4.8%.

Q What is California's unemployment rate?

California's unemployment rate is 5.5%.

Q Which state has a lower unemployment rate — Alaska or California?

Alaska has a lower unemployment rate than California.

Sources: Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset; purchasing-power figures use BEA Regional Price Parities. Minimum wage data comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker.