Louisiana Ranks Among Worst States for Jobs in 2025, Report Finds

(KPEL-FM) - If you're looking for a new job here in Louisiana, you probably know it's tough sledding out there. And that's illustrated by the latest report released by the personal-finance company WalletHub on 2025's Best & Worst States for Jobs.

The U.S. labor market actually remains strong, though, with the addition of 22,000 jobs in August 2025. The unemployment rate has been fairly steady over the past year, hovering between 4% and 4.3%.

How Louisiana’s Job Market Compares to the Nation

As we'll show you in a bit, things aren’t looking as good for Louisiana compared to much of the country.

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To compile this latest ranking, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 34 key indicators of job market strength and economic vitality. The data set ranges from things like employment growth to the median annual income to the average commute time.

WalletHub’s 2025 Rankings Breakdown

Finding a Job in Louisiana (1 = Best; 25 = Avg.):

• Overall rank for Louisiana: 49th
• 40th - Job Opportunities
• 27th - Employment Growth
• 28th - Monthly Average Starting Salary
• 42nd - Unemployment Rate
• 48th - Median Annual Income (Adjusted for Cost of Living)
• 47th - Average Length of Work Week (in Hours)
• 33rd - Average Commute Time (in Minutes)
• 50th - Job Security

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Top States to Find a Job in 2025

On the flip side, let's take a look at the best states to find a job. Here are the top 10:

1. Massachusetts
2. Connecticut
3. Minnesota
4. Vermont
5. New Hampshire
6. South Dakota
7. Texas
8. North Dakota
9. Maine
10. Rhode Island

To see the complete rankings for Best & Worst States for Jobs, click here.