Which job sectors in the US have the lowest unemployment rate in the first half of 2024?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has released data on which occupations have the lowest unemployment rate in the country in the first half of the year.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shares monthly data on the unemployment rate in the United States, as well as information about new jobs that are being generated in the country.
According to the latest report which shows figures for the month of May, total non-farm payroll employment increased by 272,000. The unemployment rate changed slightly to 4%, a figure higher than the same period last year, since in May 2023 it was 3.7%.
Among the industries that gained the most jobs last month were health care, government, leisure and hospitality, and professional, scientific and technical services. Which sectors have the lowest unemployment rate?
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Industries with a low unemployment rate
According to the BLS Labor Force Statistics report, the industries with the lowest unemployment rate in May were social and community service occupations (1.2%), legal occupations (1.4% ), health professionals and technical occupations (1.5%), education, training and library occupations (1.7%), architecture and engineering (1.8%), and managerial occupations (1.9%).
On the other end of the scale, the occupations with the highest unemployment rate are agricultural, fishing and forestry occupations (10.7%), occupations related to food preparation and service (6.5%), and transportation and material movement occupations (5.7%).
Unemployment rate for different population groups
According to the BLS employment report, these are the unemployment rates among major groups of workers: adult men (3.8%), adult women (3.4 %), adolescents (12.3%), whites (3.5%), blacks (6.1%), Asians (3.1%), and Hispanics (5.0%).
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States with the lowest and highest unemployment rates
In April, North Dakota and South Dakota had the lowest unemployment rates at 2.0% each. The next lowest rate was in Vermont at 2.1%.
On the other hand, California had the highest unemployment rate at 5.3%, closely followed by the District of Columbia at 5.2%, and Nevada at 5.1%. In total, about 20 states have unemployment rates significantly below the national figure, while five states and the District of Columbia have higher numbers.