Many of us know by now that it's been better to live in North Dakota than in Nevada during the course of this recession and weak recovery. But it's still startling to see just how much better off jobseekers were in the cold North than in the arid West.
The Economic Policy Institute has created a map highlighting percentages of jobs lost in each state between December 2007, when the recession began, and September 2010, the most recent data available.
Nevada has lost 14.2 percent of its jobs during that period, while North Dakota actually saw a 2.2 percent gain in jobs.
Other states where unemployed people might have a better time finding a job include South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming and New Hampshire, all of which have seen job losses of less than 3 percent, according to the EPI data. Alaska also has added a small number of jobs.
Arizona and Michigan should probably not be destination spots for jobseekers: Both have been among the harder-hit states, losing about 10 percent of their jobs since the recession began nearly three years ago.
Although the recession officially ended in June 2009, that hardly signaled the end of economic hard times, particularly for jobseekers.
Although some employers have cautiously added jobs in recent months, national unemployment remains painfully high.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday that 151,000 jobs were added nationwide in October. That was an encouraging sign, even though the unemployment rate stayed steady at 9.6 percent and 14.8 million people remain out of work.
The state-by-state data for October has not yet been released.
For more detailed state data and to see the map in interactive form, click here.
You can also view a county-by-county map here.



Arizona's lawmakers have done a pitiful job of turning the economy around and unwisely chose this particular time to round up and deport the illegals, which added to the economic malaise. So, what did the local voter braintrust do? They elected them all back and even added some more right wing nutjobs to join them. On the plus side you can now carry your concealed gun into a bar for a hard night of drinking. That should add a few undertakers to the payroll here in Arizona.
And of course their local hiring problems are because of the fed and the incredibly low taxes they force on businesses.
JW-1532016 Thank you for your comment, you took the words right out of my mouth. If it weren't for the weather Arizona would be the worst state in America.
I just left arizona, and consider myself pretty lucky to have gotten out. Hope you enjoy the bar scene down there, maybe you'll get lucky and the next girl you meet will only not have a felony, but won't be packing heat either.
This is not the whole story. For example, Utah may have lower unemployment, but then it has less population, and the pay is lower there too (not to mention the extreme culture--if you think Arizona is bad). Or look at California. A job there is great if it pays enough to afford to live there. Oh sure, you could move to North Dakota if you don't mind the weather. The South has always been poor clear back to civil war days.
As for Arizona, illegals may be coming over the border in smaller numbers, but by no means are they returning home in great numbers. You think things are bad for them in the U.S.? It'll always be worse south of the border.
One might notice Teapulbican candidate Rubio did very well, though we're talking Florida, not the nation here. But Teapublicans are trying to keep minority votes, because they know the minority will soon be the majority. Why blacks or Latinos vote for Teapublicans, I'll never know--that's the more interesting question.
Why do blacks and Latino's vote Republican? Likely because they hope this time around the more conservative one's will focus on lower taxes, smaller government, lowering of the debt (rather than expanding of government) and believe it or not, anyone who works for their money appreciates others who respect the taxes that they pay.
Dems and Reps have shown no respect at all towards our money. They waste it with bad government, too much government, duplication of services, fraud, abuse and incompetence.
So as incomes go up in all racial segments, more and more will vote in their own interest. A more educated population is a more conservative population.
lolwuttaburger
Ironic, every State with high unemployment turned REpublican: OHIO, Michigan, Penn, Wisconsin. Do you think the voters figured out cap and trade, carbon tax, UN BS, marxist liberal environmental agenda, union agendas! the unions are as much against job creation as the DNC. And the state with low unemployment are Republican !!!! duhhhh! the ones who stayed red are red, and will be very dark green for a long time to come. Your all killing your progeny.(for you from Rosa Linda that means your kids and grand kids.)
exactly
Do you honestly believe the voters can think? The vast majority of them are like Neanderthals who just got their finger burned when they stuck it into a fire. Oh, fire bad! Get rid of fire!! They don't have a have a job so they vote to get rid of Democrats who are in charge. Its just that simple. No thinking going on there. If you believe there is thinking going on, then just review the political ads that were used to influence the voters. 99% of them were designed to appeal to morons. Generally, the folks who build the ads know their audiences.
They had more than two years to do something, jobs kept dropping like flies, of course we removed those that didn't "perform". Yes, Dems have had control of the senate for 4 years now, 2 under Bush, 2 under Oblameo, I say his name that way as he doesn't seem to want to "fix" things, all he wants to do is point fingers. Doesn't work that way in reality, you either are part of the solution, (of which is his not) or part of the problem, (which we can see by stats that Obamacare is a hindrance of job creation) which he is. Let's get real here, you can't point all the blame on conservatives as the libs are just as much to blame. Elitism exists on both sides you know...
There is plenty of blame to go around. What amazes me is that the American voter simply swings back and forth between the two parties, always blaming the one in charge for all the problems. They never stop to consider that maybe neither party should be trusted with running the country. People just don't take voting seriously. They do zero research and vote on emotion...not logic. People with money who want to buy elections know this and make them into useful tools for furthering their causes.
The only reason I would like to the Republicans in control of the House is for checks and balances only. Likewise if a Republican was in the executive office then I'd rather see a Democratic House.
What sickens me about elections is that I see to much blame on the other guy and not any rational solutions to peoples concerns, and this goes for both sides.
It would be in my interest to vote for the person who has the better logical idea, for when they take the floor their answers to problems get herd. Unfortunately the those great ideas that can develop solutions to societies short cummings often get put aside for the greater interest of the party itself, because of the wealth that get generated within both parties.
Typical Republitard nuthugger selecting the facts convenient to your prejudice. Go back and LOOK at the map. The MAJORITY of states with greater than 4-6% unemployment are Republican, including Florida and the entire Southeast, Arizona and the Southwest with the exception of California, Ohio etc. And for every ONE Democratic state in each % level, there are TWO Republican states.
Not that it really matters - both the Democrats AND Republicans are bedbuddies with the multinational corporations that are destroying our country for financial gain.
It would just be nice to see a Republitard that could read a chart accurately.
okay, so..........how do you explain Arizona??
Me too. But the trouble is, we never hear any "ideas" any more. All the campaigns are geared toward the negative. We don't hear "What am I going to do to change things". Instead, we just here candidates tearing down the other guy.
Like I've said on a couple other political threads -- Americans for the past several elections have been voting in anger and negative. Whoever is in power for two years is out the next. We are not voting for POSITIVE. Until that changes, nothing else will.
There is a hole in your theory. Florida was and has always been a republican state and the lost of obs is at 10%. Where is your liberal argument with that.
Charlie Crist was the governor before Rick Scott and then there was Jeb bush. Ironically we are number 2 in foreclosures as well. If you ask me the government had no problem evaluated homes 3 times the cost to make that extra money for the banks as well.
LOL, you can thank the unions for your paid vacation, pension plans, living wages, health care benefits -- If you wanna know why these perks are disappearing and your standard of living is going down, it's because the Teapublicans have destroyed organized labor (now only about 22% of what once was).
Welcome to the new American Nightmare, where minimum wage is abolished, people have to work more than one job to buy basic needs, no one can own a home, or send their kids to college. It's so much better than the days with those %$#@! unions, isn't it?
Oh how the Teapublicans would have you believe the market corrects itself, then ensures that it can't.
On the subject of unions - California unions worked it out so that in roughly 30 years of work, they can retire on just about 100% of their salary. So a 25 year old person can retire at 55 with a full income. You do realize this is not only unsustainable, it is robbery?
So here I am in liberal California, with cities facing up to 30% of their budget being eaten up by retirement/benefit packages. Within 3 years several cities will be looking at bankruptcy because of this criminal ponze scheme brought to you by the greedy, selfish, lying unions!
The only thing worse than a greedy CEO is a politician - because the politician has endless amounts of our money, and both the military and the police to back them up. The REAL greed is our government / union, no better than organized crime.
H. Sapiens Neanderthalensis are actually theorized to have had larger brain mass than archaic H. Sapiens, and the more advanced culture for their time. But I digress.
Continue on, don't mind me.
What's the problem? The stock market's doing great, the banks are in great shape hording cash and the Corporations are getting cheap labor in India and China.
Why would anybody need a job here in the land of milk and honey?
(SARCASM)
We depend on the private sector for jobs, they do not want to hire anyone because it cuts into profits and we wonder why we have unemployment.
Edwardo has hit the nail on the head. Now, Americans need to do the same to their political leaders. Raising taxes and restricting energy sources are the opposite of what should be done. Obamacare needs to be repealed and the Bush tax cuts need to be made permanent, then, and only then, will you see small and large businesses start to grow,which will put people back to work. No brainer, get off of your liberal high horse and do what is right for the country!
Really. The only head hit was his own and yours as you will quickly find out...that you have been duped again. Switching back and forth isn't the answer. Longterm growth can only be achieved through consistently whacking away at the tough problems, all of them, that the US faces. The healthcare law has barely taken affect and BTW - that deficit you want to see decrease, will be $4 Trillion dollars greater if the folks you just elected get there way, and pass Bush Tax cuts for the filthy rich. Oh you bought that "...its a bad time to raise taxes on anyone..." crap, so bend over and kiss your piggy bank, your children's piggy bank and your granchildren's piggy bank goodbye.
As for your reference to the Oboma administration blaming the republican party for the mess we're in now,...its true I don't care how you paint it, and no party will relieve this pain in 19 months.
You are right about Obama care. We need to go back to the good old day when the hospitals had the right to refuse service if you couldn't pay. No insurance just die, but don't block the entrance for our people with means. In a short time we will be able to get rid of the poor people. Oh what a wonderful world that will be ...right neo-cons.
Really?
I hope YOU don't get sick and need MORE than $1 million in health care over your lifetime. Or that YOU don't have a preexisting condition and need to change health insurance companies. You'd be SOL then if Obama's health plan were repealed. Did you realize those were two major provisions? Or, like most, are you just following your party line and not actually READING it? Is this the BEST solution for health care issues in this country? No, I don't think so, but at least it's a step FORWARD and we've not seen that before. It definitely needs work, but it's better than what we had -- NOTHING.
As far as the Bush tax cuts on large and small businesses ... I don't see how that worked to increase jobs. When he left office, we were in a depression with a high unemployment rate. Please show how the businesses and CEOs that benefited from that ACTUALLY turned that into jobs for the average person. Please.
I think YOU need to get off YOUR high horse and THINK. Quit just following along with your leaders. You need to realize THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU. They just know how to get you mad so you keep spewing their garbage -- and this works on BOTH sides of the aisle.
Americans need to learn to THINK again and not just watch TV commercials.
No brainer--as in no brain.
What's wrong with extending tax cuts for all but the richest 2%? That would mean 98% of Americans keep lower taxes. Incomes for the richest 2% grows five times faster during Republican administrations (in proportion to deficit spending, which is also higher during Republican administrations).
Look at the GINI coefficient--we are becoming a nation without a middle class. A middle class is vital for democracy--Why are you so anti-democracy? Stop placing the burden on the W2 wage slaves.
BTW, tax cuts don't create jobs--just deficits. Teapublicans need to provide a detailed, viable plan for how they will pay for tax cuts (so the deficit doesn't continue to skyrocket), and how they will create good paying jobs. You can't balance the budget with spending cuts alone, especially when you don't include defense spending.
As for health care reform, or Social Security, do you people really think a world of elderly people dumpster diving, or sick people dying in the hospital doorway is a good world, and a good solution? This is the best you can come up with, isn't it? Or bartering chickens?
This is why we want qualified candidates, and why Angle, Buck and O'Donnell were rejected. Also, I think voting should be mandatory so we can have a true reflection of what the people want. Not just extremists or haters.
The Dems have the motto: Restoring the American Dream. The Teapublicans motto is creating an American Nightmare.
I like that proamerica... Land of milk and honey.
Where the milk has curdled and the bees that used to make the honey have died out. Wonder if they dropped dead because their jobs were being outsourced to India and China?
Actually Edwardo is incorrect when he attempts, in a very naive and uniformed way, to connect Republican States, such as Wyoming, North Dakota and Sout Dakota, with low unemployment. The largest reason that unemployment has remained low in this area is due to the oil reserves that lie beneath geological formations. These oil pockets were unreachable until the development and use of directional drilling. The Bakken oil shale is driving employment in ND, while the Niobrara oil shale will drive employment in the Southeast corner of WY and South east CO.
The important point in this argument is to realize where the money actually comes from to support these states and their budgets. Oil companies apply for leases from various FEDERAL& STATE orgs, (BLM, private landowners, ect...). These same oil companies then pay taxes to both FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS. This is not really a political issue, although people in the past and present will point to Politics in Washington attempting to prove direct causality.
Here in Wyoming ( although the so called Libertarians like to forget about it) we receive 45% of our state funding from taxes collected via mineral royalties from ... yes thats right....the federal government. Who though up this coniving plan to keep Wyoming in the black through thick and thin? A democrate name Stan Hathaway.
Note:"or several states, the loss of jobs has been staggering. Nevada has lost 14.2% of its jobs since December 2007, and Arizona has lost 10.3%. The percentage of jobs lost is 10% in Michigan, 9.4% in Florida, 9% in California, 8.3% in Oregon and 8.1% in Georgia."
Notice something similar about these states??? In just about every one of them illegal employment is on the rise. Yes , whats left of those construction jobs, are vanishing. And some people still think they just take maid and lawn maintenance jobs. Maybe the President should park outside a known day labour pick up area and tell us what he see's?? Why's roofing and construction contractor trucks here???
You're right, the voters are idiots, the politicians sell nothing but propaganda, and the government employees consider it their jobs to create 'intelligence errors' to cause more hysteria, start a few more wars, and waste some more tax payer money. And the voters eat it up, and will continue to eat it up while taxes go up and government spending sky rockets, bringing us an increase in the deficit (and, incidentally, the debt) further selling our childrens (if you're lucky enough to have) future to the chinese.
Republicans/Democrats have become parasites of their own flesh!!! i do not trust them anymore n look forward to make my own survival a reality. jobs, housing, health care, etc. it is all meaningless when this nation has political minds abusing their power n neglecting the needs of the people in general.
now the Reps. in the house and the Dems. in the senate got to battle their own demons in order to show their followers that they are worthy in 2012. they have a lot on their plate n better start eating it right away!! because good result is the key.
job losses happened everywhere north/south/west, i was laid off 6mo ago from a major science research co. in Maryland next to DC after 12 yrs. of steady employment. this co. let go about 300 people just this yr. so i do not agree with the study done on the recession ending in 2009. LOL!!!
Maybe we're just really lucky, or maybe the question I never see answered in the press holds the key. My husband and I have not only managed to remain gainfully employed in our separate careers, we have managed to quietly thrive for the past two-plus years. I'm not saying it's been easy; we've had some tight months, but our jobs are secure and our industries are steady and now are growing.
The question I never see answered is, WHO is unemployed? It is the tax accountants or the lawyers? Is it the general construction workers or the HVAC technicians? The assembly line workers or the janitors? Some job categories are more recession-resistant than others. It would be interesting to know what skill set the long-term unemployed came into this recession with and what new skills they have acquired.
Excellent point!
Keep asking incisive questions.
you can goggle it and find the answer. it's broken down by industry.
Bunny: 2 catatories that haven't had hard times are:
1.) High functioning electronic engineers. Son is making an obscene amt. of $ & even negotiated to get his girlfriend ( now his wife) on his medical insurance.
2.) Health Care, esp. nurses. I have been retired over 10 yrs. & since I keep a current liscense in my State, I still get offers to work even though I'm living in another State. The local nursing school has jobs for ALL their graduates HERE-in a high unemployed, red State. No need to go elsewhere.
Here is a place to start:
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf
Bureau Of Labor and statistics.
Some interesting notes: Those with bachelor's degrees are at 4.7 percent unemployment, those with just HS diplomas over 10 percent.
Pay particular attention to page 6 table B. Job gains have been made in healthcare, education, mining, logging, transportation and other service jobs.
One area that is surprising is the loss of government jobs mainly from the loss of census workers and other cutbacks. If government has been growing it certainly hasn't been in hiring more government workers.
And when you look at the overall picture, it looks like the massive losses stopped 9-12 months ago. Its just that there hasn't been much of a rebound yet. Looking at the trendline 2011 looks to be a better year just in time for the new congress to take the credit for it.
Let's see ....buying everything under the sun from Walmart, offshoring every job possible, keep the tax rate on the highest income earners low and blow out the deficit, borrow money from China to buy cheap low quality goods, but prevent Gays from Marrying, that's formula for success no doubt.
Go GOP !!!!!! Save us from the gay, socialist, jewish ,communist, Islamic bankers, with Spanish surnames
Some of you guys talk nonsense, as if, without any brain which reflected in the voting booth just days ago. You guys (I mean who are deficient in brain) voted simply on emotion (atleast you have some active nerves on the other side of the brain), but not on reality, facts or knowledge. You have to understand that it takes huge amounts of effort, money and time to take our head out of the ditch dug arrogantly and foolishly by the previous administration. Obama has been doing his best by working hard day and night with a little sleep for this #1 nation in the world. Jobs are coming back and you should show your patience and co-operation, But, if you don't have brain, you cannot do either. First, regenerate your brain and then common sense; there will be no problem in our American lives.
Health care should have a Government provider to keep the other providers honest. Obama should have chosen that hill to live or die on! 72% of USA agreed at one time!
The election results indicate that the middle class is collapsing. Middle class usually vote for moderates (right or left). Moderates lost which is an indicator of the health of the middle class and it is not good.
The middle class is the engine of the economy. The natural economic forces in an open economy, like in the USA, will create a middle class. A moderate left government will promote "safety nets" that can help the lower classes move up to the middle. A moderate right government will promote business to employ, again making it easier for the lower class to move up to the middle. Extreme left governements narrow the separation between upper and lower classes and usually results in bringing most of the upper class down to the middle. Extreme right governments increase the separation between the upper and lower classes and results in only a few in the upper class and most pushed down to the middle.
The electorate just moved more towards the extreme right. Basically the vote was to move everyone down in the economy. The economy is stalled because governement is resisting the creation of the middle class from the upper class. Either some of the neo-rich are pushed down, the economy deflates to bring down some of the neo-rich, or the economy remains stalled. No matter what, the message from this election is that the "rich" are going to be the losers.
Living in NV we are faced with the highest unemployment rate in the country...14.4% state wide and 15% in Clark County, (Las Vegas.) Not only is the unemployment rate off the charts, but the few jobs being created are temp jobs or contract work. Sad state of affairs, so don't come here looking for a job, it just isn't there. Over the past 2 years we have had a migration leaving the state, not coming into it. I'm lucky, I'm retired but many of my friends are out of work and are willing to do any job regardless of the pay, hours or type and there still is nothing, that is unless your a city, county or state employee. Last one out of NV please turn off the lights.
I don't know how Iowa thinks theirs is only 1-3% maybe for the places in Iowa that weren't hit by the flood a couple of years ago. I know Cedar Rapids Iowa is one of the largest cities in Iowa - they still haven't cleaned up all the houses that were under water, nor have they demolished them...it just still smells bad around there. Plus the city center has never come back. so many of the buildings are still empty and no work is being done there. The only jobs are telemarketing, and for every real job in the paper...you compete against 100 people that have also applied for that position, then companies don't hire the people with experience that will cost them more ..they hire young kids that will work for peanuts. It's a pathetic state of affairs. They call this a recession, but it is a depression pure and simple. I have never seen so many people out of work EVER! Whole families live on the streets and foreclosures continue without abate.
We have over regulated our mining and manufacturing industries out of business. A friend from Canada, a retired CE prof who has traveled to China on knowledge exchange missions commented that the US has sent all of its pollution industries to China. You cannot buy an electric motor in the US that is not made in China. All of the so called green technologies that are supposed to jump start our economy, wind turbines, electric cars and so on cannot be made without special high strength magnets which are made using rare earth elements made in China. We sold all of our rare earth technology to China. We will not allow power plants to be built in our back yards because of pollution. People, we can't all be hamburger flippers at McDonalds. We need to return to the things that have made use great, manufacturing, mining, technological innovation. If it can't be grown it had to have been mined!
Butch, what manufacturing? That has all gone off shore with exception of the auto industry, which conservatives wanted to fail.
What about the mine that collapsed, and the BP oil rig that exploded and lives lost, or the contaminated food? What about Wall Street and the economic meltdown?
These are all due to lack of oversight and deregulation per the Bush/Cheney years. Should we have child labor like China, and pollution like China? Instead we should get tough with China about their manipulation of currency, subsidizing of companies, and other unfair practices that have been taking jobs away from Americans. We should work to raise standards of living, not lower it.
And we better get back-up plans for food production in the event of climate change, as well as potable water. Going back in time is like putting our heads in the sand.
After having read these comments I feel a strong need to make one of my own. The one fact that consistently comes out in all this online venting is that the political system is corrupted. In order to accomplish any major task you need for all the components involved in creating it to work.Politicians need large sums of money to get elected and therefore pander to and whore for those who offer it. A perfect example is Obama accepting two hundred million dollars in campaign contributions from foreign countries (all muslim ) after being elected his first official action as president was to try and release all the terrorist detained at Gimo . The point I am trying to make is that the system is broken and there is only one way to fix it , we must remove special interest money from the picture and decide for ourselves whom we want running for office starting at the local level. There is a garassroots organization trying to do just that which already has one hundred thousand members named GOOOH and is pronounced Go. The acronym stands for get out of our house and their plan is to repace all the career politicians with citizen representatives like yourself.We pick our candidates by voting among ourselves and everyone has an equal opportunity to run for office.The rules are you must answer an exstensive questionaire about your political beliefs , sign a contract so we can fire you if necessary , take no special interest money and are limited to two terms only in the same office. This organization is worth taking a good look at and they are more concerned about members than money at the present moment.If you really want true change then start cleaning up around where you live first and help us replace congress.See you at the polls !
Sincerely Robert Simmons
Or just join the Libertarian Party, the party of principle. I vote Libertarian whenever there is a Libertarian candidate on the ballot. Otherwise I usually vote Democrat, although once in a while a Republican candidate gets my vote.
Robert, you have the right idea, but your presentation doesn't quite veil your true bias. I have a question. Please quote the source of your statement that President Obama received 200 million in donations from muslim countries.
Have any of us ever stopped to consider, what our individual roles have played in these diffulcut times. It seems were so caught up in the constant hype of wants. Yes we need to be mindful of goverment, Yet what is our personal responsibilities.
The present presidential administration could have been true American heros when they came into office by enforcing our immigration laws and forcing those who hire the illegals to start paying their share of taxes. Instead they tried to use them against us as a political pawn by telling them to vote for those who support obama( which is illegal). They even had eric holder the attorney general threaten the states to not check voter identification , and then they had the audacity to refer to over one hundred million Americans as the enemy. Well they definitely came into office acting like they hated Americans and wanted to harm us by enacting legislation that did more to raise our taxes than to really help us . Voters are being physically attacked at the polls by members of racist hate groups who are then allowed to get away with it.This administration is definitely not pro America or for all Americans in general , they seem to pander to the homosexual liberal community ( some are conservative) and are even allowing them to indoctrinate preteens into homosexual programming and are encouraging young junior high school kids into disclosing whether they have started masturbating yet. This information is of great value to pedophiles of which many are cropping up in our failing school system which has been ran into the ground by the educators union whom gave fifty million dollars to the obama campaign. Open your eyes America the enemy is not at the gates anymore they are camping out in your backyard while trying to get into the house and into bed with your family
Here he is folks, the very model of the Right-Wing Nut Jobs that are killing our country. The thought-processes are facinating but scary as hell. No ability or desire to do independent research; all he did was listen to his gods - Becky, Limburger, O'Retched, etc. It's all he knows, along with the sound bites he picks up. You read his words above and wonder what country he lives in...and why isn't he taking his meds? This man actually has the right to vote!! Good grief...it's a scary world out there.
Arizona is great. Who wants a job anyway. Working is for chumps.
The numbers are a streatch. The October Household Survey shows a loss of 330,000 jobs. Me thinks the BLS has used statistics and their complicated formulas to lie. 200,000 jobs created by a "seasonal adjustment" is a little hard to fathom.