By almost any measure, the U.S. economy has rapidly recovered jobs since roughly 8 million Americans were laid off in the spring of 2020.

Jobs bounced back throughout 2021 and much of 2022 in nearly all sectors, spurred by consumer demand for furniture, homes, appliances, and vehicles.

But in the latter half of 2022, consumers began shifting to spending more on services—the travel and live entertainment they had to forgo due to COVID-19. Hotels and others in the hospitality industry added more jobs in November than any other industry. Still, employers face an uphill battle finding talent willing to work for advertised jobs—and the hospitality industry continues to have more job openings than any other.

Swyft Filings used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find the industries employing the most people in each state. Data available is preliminary for January 2023, excludes farm payrolls, and is seasonally adjusted.

The analysis also provides the percentage of total state employees within that industry sector and the percent change in employment from January 2022. States are listed in alphabetical order. Government employees only include the civilian labor force, excluding the military. 

The trade, transportation, and utilities industry leads in US employment

The trade, transportation, and utilities sector is the dominant source of income for workers in most states. These are businesses like Target, Amazon, and other consumer goods-related companies operating in the retail or retail logistics and warehousing space. It also includes workers for utility companies like your local electricity provider.

All states saw employers expand headcounts between January 2022 and 2023 as the U.S. jobs recovery posted another gain of millions of jobs.

Among them is Nevada, the only state in the U.S. where leisure and hospitality workers represent the most significant workforce share. Nearly 1 in 4 workers in the state did so for a hospitality-related business in January. Hospitality was the hardest-hit industry in the pandemic as it suffered from consumers' choice to switch spending to goods over experiences in the face of a global public health crisis.

Similarly, in Washington D.C., employment is concentrated in the government sector, which employs 30% of residents.

The Industry Providing the Most Jobs in Each State

Alabama

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 407,900 (+1% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 19%

Alaska

• Top industry: Government

• January 2023 employment: 77,200 (-1% decrease year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 24%

Arizona

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 603,900 (+1% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 19%

Arkansas

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 276,000 (+4% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 20%

California

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 3,143,800 (+1% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 17%

Colorado

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 501,300 (+1% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 17%

Connecticut

• Top industry: Education and health services

• January 2023 employment: 349,900 (+4% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 21%

Delaware

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 90,800 (+4% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 19%

Florida

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 1,960,500 (+4% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 20%

Georgia

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 1,020,800 (+1% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 21%

Hawaii

• Top industry: Leisure and hospitality

• January 2023 employment: 119,800 (+12% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 19%

Idaho

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 161,700 (+1 increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 19%

Illinois

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 1,222,200 (+2% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 20%

Indiana

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 637,700 (+2% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 20%

Iowa

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 312,400 (+1% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 20%

Kansas

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 274,100 (+1% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 19%

Kentucky

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 432,100 (+3% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 22%

Louisiana

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 371,500 (0% change year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 19%

Maine

• Top industry: Education and health services

• January 2023 employment: 127,700 (+3% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 20%

Maryland

• Top industry: Government

• January 2023 employment: 519,400 (+3% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 19%

Massachusetts

• Top industry: Education and health services

• January 2023 employment: 820,000 (+2% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 22%

Michigan

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 807,200 (+1% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 18%

Minnesota

• Top industry: Education and health services

• January 2023 employment: 559,700 (+3% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 19%

Mississippi

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 246,500 (+2% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 21%

Missouri

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 556,700 (+1% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 19%

Montana

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 99,900 (+2% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 19%

Nebraska

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 197,400 (+1% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 19%

Nevada

• Top industry: Leisure and hospitality

• January 2023 employment: 354,900 (+9% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 23%

New Hampshire

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 139,600 (+2% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 20%

New Jersey

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 923,700 (+3% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 21%

New Mexico

• Top industry: Government

• January 2023 employment: 182,800 (+2% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 21%

New York

• Top industry: Education and health services

• January 2023 employment: 2,194,600 (+5% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 23%

North Carolina

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 922,800 (+2% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 19%

North Dakota

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 91,200 (+1% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 21%

Ohio

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 1,051,100 (0% change year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 19%

Oklahoma

• Top industry: Government

• January 2023 employment: 351,600 (+1% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 20%

Oregon

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 369,100 (+1% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 19%

Pennsylvania

• Top industry: Education and health services

• January 2023 employment: 1,296,300 (+5% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 21%

Rhode Island

• Top industry: Education and health services

• January 2023 employment: 105,000 (+1% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 21%

South Carolina

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 439,500 (+3% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 19%

South Dakota

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 90,900 (+3% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 20%

Tennessee

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 688,100 (+3% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 21%

Texas

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 2,753,700 (+4% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 20%

Utah

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 315,800 (+2% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 19%

Vermont

• Top industry: Education and health services

• January 2023 employment: 62,100 (+2% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 20%

Virginia

• Top industry: Professional and business services

• January 2023 employment: 816,500 (+3% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 20%

Washington

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 618,900 (+3% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 17%

Washington, D.C.

• Top industry: Government

• January 2023 employment: 233,800 (-3% decrease year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 30%

West Virginia

• Top industry: Government

• January 2023 employment: 148,700 (0% change year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 21%

Wisconsin

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 551,200 (+2% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 18%

Wyoming

• Top industry: Trade, transportation, and utilities

• January 2023 employment: 551,200 (+2% increase year over year)

• Percent of total employment in the state: 18%