Income
California vs New York: Unemployment Rate
New York has a lower unemployment rate than California.
National Rankings
Where They Rank Nationally
See where both states fall among all 50 states for unemployment rate.
California
#50 · 5.5%
New York
#40 · 4.6%
Best
Worst
10 Best States — Unemployment Rate
Lower is better
#1
Hawaii
2.2%
Hawaii
#2
South Dakota
2.2%
South Dakota
#3
North Dakota
2.6%
North Dakota
#4
Vermont
2.6%
Vermont
#5
Alabama
2.7%
Alabama
#6
Nebraska
3.0%
Nebraska
#7
New Hampshire
3.1%
New Hampshire
#8
Wisconsin
3.1%
Wisconsin
#9
Maine
3.2%
Maine
#10
Mississippi
3.4%
Mississippi
Selected states
#50
California
5.5%
California
#40
New York
4.6%
New York
California ranks 50th and New York ranks 40th 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
California vs New York: Unemployment Rate in context
New York's unemployment rate is 4.6%, compared with 5.5% in California. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rate (BLS, December 2025).
California
5.5%
New York
4.6%
Difference
0.90 percentage points
People also ask
California vs New York Unemployment Rate — common questions
QWhat is California's unemployment rate?
California's unemployment rate is 5.5%.
QWhat is New York's unemployment rate?
New York's unemployment rate is 4.6%.
QWhich state has a lower unemployment rate — California or New York?
New York has a lower unemployment rate than California.
More comparisons: California vs New York
Grouped tabs keep the deep-dive links tighter and easier to scan.
Explore each state
Data source and freshness
Data period
December 2025
Dataset reviewed
July 23, 2026
Method note
Seasonally adjusted state unemployment rate.