Yes – we are a little late this month with our state by state rankings for total nonfarm employment growth and unemployment rates.  The BLS didn’t post until last Friday, and there have been projects screaming for attention over the weekend and yesterday here at the office. 

We’re happy to provide this information again this month for FREE – click here to go to our Free Resources page for the PDFs. 

Employment growth (total nonfarm) improved in a dozen states in August as compared to July – perhaps that’s better than you might believe listening to the mainstream media and the campaigning candidates.  The top four ranked states (by 6-month rolling average of annualized total nonfarm employment growth) remain Wyoming, Texas, Louisiana, and Colorado; New Hampshire moves into the number five position this month.  Once again nine of the best ten ranked states are west of the Mississippi, as are thirteen of the top fifteen. 

Unemployment rates improved (went down) in only five, yes that’s five, states, remained stable in only one (Maine), and otherwise increased (worsened) in forty four.  Ouch.  Interestingly fly-over country remains at the top of the ranking list yet again – S. Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, N. Dakota, and Utah round out the top five once again this month.  The worst? - Michigan, Rhode Island, Mississippi, and California. 

Clearly employment in the entire nation is not going to “hell in a hand basket”, though we agree that there is quite a bit of rough water to navigate with regard to employment before the economy yet again stabilizes. 

Technorati Tags: