With the labor force participation rate at 62.6% and many employers still facing labor shortages, WalletHub today released its report on 2025’s States Where Employers Are Struggling the Most in Hiring, as well as expert commentary.
In order to see where employers are having the most trouble hiring new workers, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on the rate of job openings for both the latest month and the last 12 months.
South Carolina Hiring Struggle Stats
- Job openings rate during the latest month: 5.70%
- Job openings rate in the past 12 months: 5.97%
- Overall rank: 4th biggest hiring struggle in the country
Why do employers have difficulties in filling employment positions?
“Even if you get the ‘paycheck’ right, there is still a fundamental challenge stemming from a sizeable mismatch between employer expectations and employee needs. Many businesses still operate with outdated management approaches that fail to recognize the evolving nature of work and talent expectations/needs. On the flip side, younger talent is not fully prepared for the demands of the modern workplace. Stalemate. Organizations struggle with creating environments where employees can truly thrive while maintaining high-performance standards. Managers must take time to get to know who they hire and who they are working with at a deeper level so they can optimize expectations and needs.”
J. Craig Wallace, PhD – Professor, Clemson University
To view the full report and your state’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/states-employers-hiring/101730
States Where Employers Are Struggling the Most in Hiring
| Rank | State | Job Openings Rate (Latest Month) | Job Openings Rate (Last 12 Months) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kentucky | 6.50% | 6.08% |
| 2 | Alaska | 6.00% | 6.71% |
| 3 | West Virginia | 5.90% | 6.11% |
| 4 | South Carolina | 5.70% | 5.97% |
| 5 | Arkansas | 5.70% | 5.65% |
| 6 | Virginia | 5.60% | 5.79% |
| 7 | Georgia | 5.70% | 5.35% |
| 8 | Oklahoma | 5.40% | 5.82% |
| 9 | New Mexico | 5.40% | 5.72% |
| 10 | Louisiana | 5.40% | 5.53% |
| 11 | Alabama | 5.40% | 5.35% |
| 12 | Missouri | 5.40% | 5.28% |
| 13 | North Carolina | 5.40% | 5.27% |
| 14 | Delaware | 5.20% | 5.46% |
| 15 | Montana | 5.00% | 5.81% |
| 16 | Minnesota | 5.20% | 5.36% |
| 17 | North Dakota | 5.20% | 5.31% |
| 18 | Maryland | 4.80% | 5.87% |
| 19 | Rhode Island | 5.00% | 5.29% |
| 20 | Mississippi | 4.90% | 5.42% |
| 21 | Maine | 4.90% | 5.38% |
| 22 | Massachusetts | 5.00% | 5.13% |
| 23 | Arizona | 5.00% | 5.12% |
| 24 | Wyoming | 4.80% | 5.39% |
| 25 | South Dakota | 4.90% | 5.09% |
| 26 | Ohio | 5.00% | 4.74% |
| 27 | New Hampshire | 4.80% | 5.05% |
| 28 | Vermont | 4.80% | 4.94% |
| 29 | Kansas | 4.80% | 4.83% |
| 30 | Nebraska | 4.80% | 4.61% |
| 31 | Oregon | 4.50% | 5.13% |
| 32 | Wisconsin | 4.60% | 4.88% |
| 33 | Colorado | 4.10% | 5.80% |
| 34 | New York | 4.70% | 4.60% |
| 35 | Indiana | 4.70% | 4.53% |
| 36 | Illinois | 4.40% | 5.03% |
| 37 | Idaho | 4.30% | 5.14% |
| 38 | Tennessee | 4.40% | 4.91% |
| 39 | Florida | 4.30% | 4.74% |
| 40 | Pennsylvania | 4.30% | 4.72% |
| 41 | Nevada | 4.30% | 4.62% |
| 42 | Michigan | 4.20% | 4.72% |
| 43 | New Jersey | 4.20% | 4.67% |
| 44 | District of Columbia | 4.20% | 4.63% |
| 45 | Connecticut | 4.10% | 4.67% |
| 46 | Iowa | 4.20% | 4.47% |
| 47 | Utah | 4.00% | 4.73% |
| 48 | Texas | 4.00% | 4.56% |
| 49 | Washington | 3.80% | 4.17% |
| 50 | Hawaii | 3.60% | 4.08% |
| 51 | California | 3.40% | 3.63% |
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