Photo by Karola G
Article courtesy of Podium AI
- West Virginia tops all states with a job opening rate of 6%, significantly higher than the 4.4% national average.
- Maine, North Carolina, and South Carolina tie for second place, with job opening rates of 5.6% – 27% above the national rate.
- Washington has the lowest job opening rate at just 3.7%, 16% below the national average.
A new study from customer AI service platform Podium AI has revealed which states are offering the most (and the fewest) job opportunities right now.
By analyzing the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the research shows big differences across the country, with some states struggling to keep up with demand for workers while others are seeing much lower rates of vacancies.
The national job opening rate stands at 4.4%, equal to about 7.4 million available positions. But the picture varies widely from state to state, showing how uneven employment opportunities are across America.
Top 10 states with the highest job opening rates:
| Rank | State | Rate of job openings | Number of job openings (thousands) | Job opening rate compared to the national average |
| 1 | West Virginia | 6% | 46 | 36% |
| =2 | Maine | 5.6% | 39 | 27% |
| =2 | North Carolina | 5.6% | 301 | 27% |
| =2 | South Carolina | 5.6% | 143 | 27% |
| =3 | Georgia | 5.4% | 286 | 23% |
| =3 | Montana | 5.4% | 30 | 23% |
| =3 | Oklahoma | 5.4% | 102 | 23% |
| =3 | Virginia | 5.4% | 246 | 23% |
| 4 | Arkansas | 5.3% | 78 | 20% |
| =5 | Mississippi | 5.1% | 64 | 16% |
| =5 | New Hampshire | 5.1% | 38 | 16% |
| =5 | New Mexico | 5.1% | 49 | 16% |
| =5 | Tennessee | 5.1% | 183 | 16% |
| =5 | Vermont | 5.1% | 17 | 16% |
| =6 | Alaska | 5% | 18 | 14% |
| =6 | New York | 5% | 522 | 14% |
| =6 | Rhode Island | 5% | 27 | 14% |
| =7 | Alabama | 4.9% | 115 | 11% |
| =7 | Louisiana | 4.9% | 104 | 11% |
| =7 | Minnesota | 4.9% | 157 | 11% |
| =8 | Kentucky | 4.8% | 105 | 9% |
| =8 | Maryland | 4.8% | 142 | 9% |
| =8 | Wyoming | 4.8% | 15 | 9% |
| 9 | Massachusetts | 4.7% | 183 | 7% |
| 10 | Idaho | 4.6% | 43 | 5% |
West Virginia comes out on top with a job opening rate of 6% – 36% above the national average. That equals roughly 46,000 open positions, giving the state the highest rate in the country despite its relatively small population.
Three states share second place, each posting a job opening rate of 5.6%, which is 27% above the national average. Maine currently has 39,000 openings, North Carolina has a much larger 301,000, and South Carolina sits in between with 143,000 jobs waiting to be filled.
Four states share third place, each with a job opening rate of 5.4% – 23% higher than the national average. Georgia tops the group with 286,000 openings, followed by Virginia with 246,000. Oklahoma adds 102,000, and Montana, though much smaller, still has 30,000 vacancies.
In fourth is Arkansas, where the job opening rate sits at 5.3%. Employers there are looking to fill roughly 78,000 positions.
Five states share fifth place, each recording a 5.1% job opening rate – 16% above the national benchmark. The totals range from 183,000 openings in Tennessee to just 17,000 in Vermont, with Mississippi (64,000), New Hampshire (38,000) and New Mexico (49,000) sitting in between.
Three states share sixth place, each posting a job opening rate of 5.0% – 14% above the national average. New York stands out with 522,000 job openings, the third-highest total in the country. Rhode Island comes in with a much smaller 27,000 openings, while Alaska has just 18,000 – a clear sign of their smaller workforces.
Next are Alabama, Louisiana, and Minnesota, all with a job opening rate of 4.9%, which is 11% above the national average. Minnesota leads this trio with roughly 157,000 vacancies, followed by Alabama at 115,000 and Louisiana with 104,000.
In eighth place are Kentucky, Maryland, and Wyoming, all recording a rate of 4.8%, which is 9% above average. Maryland leads this trio with 142,000 openings, Kentucky shows 105,000, and Wyoming – the smallest state here – lists just 15,000 jobs.
Massachusetts lands in ninth place with a 4.7% job opening rate, sitting 7% higher than the national figure. Employers in the state are currently looking to fill around 183,000 positions.
Idaho rounds out the top ten with a rate of 4.6% – 5% above the national average. That translates to about 43,000 open jobs across the state.
The five states with the lowest job opening rates:
| Rank | State | Rate of job openings | Number of job openings (thousands) | Job opening rate compared to the national average |
| 1 | Washington | 3.7% | 142 | -16% |
| =2 | Hawaii | 3.8% | 26 | -14% |
| =2 | California | 3.8% | 702 | -14% |
| =3 | Texas | 3.9% | 575 | -11% |
| =3 | South Dakota | 3.9% | 19 | -11% |
| =3 | Pennsylvania | 3.9% | 251 | -11% |
| =3 | Indiana | 3.9% | 135 | -11% |
| =4 | Nebraska | 4% | 45 | -9% |
| =4 | Michigan | 4% | 188 | -9% |
| =4 | Iowa | 4% | 66 | -9% |
| =5 | Wisconsin | 4.1% | 129 | -7% |
| =5 | Nevada | 4.1% | 67 | -7% |
On the other hand, several states show significantly lower job opening rates. Washington has the lowest job opening rate in the country at 3.7%, 16% below the national average. Despite this lower rate, the state still has 142,000 job openings.
Both Hawaii and California record a 3.8% job opening rate, placing them 14% below the national average. Hawaii currently has around 26,000 open jobs, while California, despite its lower rate, leads the nation in absolute terms with 702,000 openings.
Four states share third-lowest place with a 3.9% job opening rate – 11% under the national figure. Texas has 575,000 vacancies, while Pennsylvania also posts a large 251,000. Indiana shows 135,000 openings, and South Dakota records just 19,000.
Three states share fourth-lowest place with a job opening rate of 4.0%, which is 9% below the national average. Michigan still lists around 188,000 openings, while Iowa shows 66,000 and Nebraska has 45,000.
Rounding out the bottom five are Nevada and Wisconsin, both with a job opening rate of 4.1%, or 7% under average. Nevada has around 67,000 available positions, while Wisconsin posts 129,000 openings across its workforce.
California and Texas both appear near the bottom of the rankings despite their huge numbers of vacancies. California has the most job openings in the country at 702,000, while Texas is second with 575,000 – yet both states record some of the lowest job opening rates nationwide.
The reason comes down to population size – with such large workforces, even hundreds of thousands of vacancies only make up a small share of total jobs, pulling their rates below the national average.
Eric Rea, CEO and founder of Podium AI, commented on the findings, “What really stands out is the contrast between smaller states like West Virginia and Maine, which are posting the highest rates, and much larger economies like California and Texas, which sit near the bottom.
“It’s not that California and Texas don’t have jobs – they have hundreds of thousands – but because their workforces are so large, those openings represent a much smaller share overall. It’s a reminder that job seekers in a smaller state may actually find more opportunities, proportionally, than in some of the biggest states.
“High job opening rates often reflect strong demand for workers, but they can also point to challenges for employers in filling roles. States like West Virginia and Maine may be experiencing tight labor markets, where businesses are competing harder to attract staff. That can create opportunities for job seekers, but it also puts pressure on employers to improve pay, benefits, and workplace flexibility.
“These numbers highlight the importance of looking at both absolute job counts and the rate of openings. A state like New York or California may have the highest number of openings, but competition will still be fierce because of the size of the workforce. In smaller states with high rates, workers may find they have more leverage and choice.”
Methodology:
Using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the total number of job openings in each state during June 2025 was found. The states were then ranked by their rates and compared to the national average.
Full ranking of all states by job opening rate:
| Rank | State | Rate of job openings | Number of job openings (thousands) | Job opening rate compared to the national average |
| 1 | West Virginia | 6% | 46 | 36% |
| =2 | Maine | 5.6% | 39 | 27% |
| =2 | North Carolina | 5.6% | 301 | 27% |
| =2 | South Carolina | 5.6% | 143 | 27% |
| =3 | Georgia | 5.4% | 286 | 23% |
| =3 | Montana | 5.4% | 30 | 23% |
| =3 | Oklahoma | 5.4% | 102 | 23% |
| =3 | Virginia | 5.4% | 246 | 23% |
| 4 | Arkansas | 5.3% | 78 | 20% |
| =5 | Mississippi | 5.1% | 64 | 16% |
| =5 | New Hampshire | 5.1% | 38 | 16% |
| =5 | New Mexico | 5.1% | 49 | 16% |
| =5 | Tennessee | 5.1% | 183 | 16% |
| =5 | Vermont | 5.1% | 17 | 16% |
| =6 | Alaska | 5% | 18 | 14% |
| =6 | New York | 5% | 522 | 14% |
| =6 | Rhode Island |
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