By MARY PATRICK
The latest report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that 11 states saw a drop in the jobless rate between May and June of this year.
Looking at the year-over-year numbers, 37 states and the District of Columbia had decreases in the unemployment rate in June 2013 as compared to June 2012.
Nationally, the unemployment rate in June remained unchanged from May at 7.6%. But a closer look at the state-by-state numbers showed some areas of the country are doing far better than others in terms of the percentage of the working age population being able to find a job.
Those states that saw the biggest increases in the number of jobs in June included California, which added more than 30,000 jobs, and Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, according to the BLS. In terms of percentage of the population gaining employment, the biggest increases were in South Carolina, Alaska and Wisconsin.
The states losing the most jobs included Tennessee, where 16,500 jobs were lost, Ohio and New York. In terms of the percentage of population who are unemployed, the largest gains were in Tennessee, West Virginia and South Dakota – although South Dakota continues to enjoy one of the nation’s lowest unemployment rates.
For students nearing graduation and those seeking to find a new job and relocate, keeping an eye on the jobless rate numbers could prove beneficial.
Those states enjoying the lowest unemployment rate as of June were North Dakota (3.1%), South Dakota (3.9%), Nebraska (4%), Vermont (4.4%), Iowa (4.6%), Hawaii (4.6%) and Wyoming (4.6%).
The state-by-state numbers “show the economic recovery in the United States continues to be weak and uneven,” wrote Tom Bevan, executive editor of Real Clear Politics. “A number of states continue to struggle with unemployment rates well above the national average.’
The states with the highest unemployment rate include Nevada (9.6%), Illinois (9.2%), Mississippi (9%), Rhode Island (8.9%), North Carolina (8.8%), New Jersey (8.7%) and Michigan (8.7).
In terms of regions, the West continued to have the highest unemployment rate at 7.8%, according to the BLS. The South had the lowest rate in June at 7.2%.
Large numbers of jobs are being added in some of the most populated parts of the country. According to the BLS, the states that added the most jobs between June 2012 and June 2013 were Texas (303,000), California (253,900) and Florida (127,200).
