Data Desk
State stories computed directly from official government data, each with a chart we draw from the same figures. A state gets a story only when its numbers actually move, so a quiet month publishes nothing for it.
RSS feed · free to cite or republish with attribution and a link.
September 2026 paychecks
- Paychecks trailed prices in 38 of 50 states over the past year
- Wisconsin paychecks fell 4.1% behind prices over the past year, the widest gap of any state
- Minnesota paychecks fell 4.1% behind prices over the past year, the second-widest gap of any state
- North Dakota paychecks fell 4.0% behind prices over the past year, the third-widest gap of any state
- Hawaii paychecks beat prices by 5.5% over the past year, the most of any state
- New Mexico paychecks beat prices by 2.9% over the past year, the second-most of any state
- Texas paychecks beat prices by 2.3% over the past year, the third-most of any state
September 2026 government jobs
September 2026 jobs
- New York adds 19,600 jobs in September, the most of any state
- New Jersey adds 14,900 jobs in September, the second-most of any state
- South Carolina adds 12,500 jobs in September, the third-most of any state
- Wisconsin loses 13,700 jobs in September, the largest loss of any state
- Texas loses 11,100 jobs in September, the second-largest loss of any state
- Missouri loses 10,600 jobs in September, the third-largest loss of any state
September 2026 unemployment
- Nevada unemployment falls to 4.7%, its lowest since February 2020
- Alabama unemployment rises to 3.5%, its highest since June 2021
- Louisiana unemployment falls to 4.0%, its lowest since October 2023
- North Carolina unemployment falls to 3.4%, its lowest since July 2023
- Pennsylvania unemployment falls to 3.6%, its lowest since September 2023
- New Jersey unemployment falls to 4.2%, its lowest since May 2023
- Rhode Island unemployment falls to 3.6%, its lowest since November 2023
- New Hampshire unemployment falls to 2.6%, its lowest since August 2024
- Mississippi unemployment falls to 3.3%, its lowest since August 2024
- South Carolina unemployment falls to 4.0%, its lowest since April 2024
- Hawaii unemployment rises to 2.8%, its highest since September 2024
- Maryland unemployment falls to 3.9% in September, 26th lowest of 51
September 2026 jobs since 2019
- Private employers in 5 states have fewer jobs than before the pandemic
- Hawaii private employers have 14,400 fewer jobs than before the pandemic
- Vermont private employers have 5,100 fewer jobs than before the pandemic
- Iowa has 7,700 more government jobs than before the pandemic and 13,200 fewer private ones
- Massachusetts has 15,200 more government jobs than before the pandemic and 18,100 fewer private ones
- Maryland has 18,500 more government jobs than before the pandemic and 11,400 fewer private ones