Tuesday, February 19, 2008

2nd Worst

According to research from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics and CareerBuilder.com, the second worst state for a person to find a job is Mississippi.



Worst States for Jobs



1. Michigan

Unemployment rate: 7.6 percent

Population: 10,071,822

Mean annual wage: $41,230

Top industry: Trade, transportation and utilities (18.4 percent)***

2. Mississippi

Unemployment rate: 6.8 percent

Population: 2,918,785

Mean annual wage: $30,460

Top industry: Government (21.2 percent)

3. South Carolina

Unemployment rate: 6.6 percent

Population: 4,407,709

Mean annual wage: $33,400

Top industry: Trade, transportation and utilities (19.4 percent)

4. Alaska

Unemployment rate: 6.5 percent

Population: 683,478

Mean annual wage: $43,920

Top industry: Government (25.9 percent)

5. California

Unemployment rate: 6.1 percent

Population: 36,553,215

Mean annual wage: $44,180

Top industry: Trade, transportation and utilities (18.9 percent)

6. District of Columbia

Unemployment rate: 6.1 percent

Population: 588,292

Mean annual wage: $61,500

Top industry: Government (33.3 percent)

7. Ohio

Unemployment rate: 6 percent

Population: 11,466,917

Mean annual wage: $37,360

Top industry: Trade, transportation and utilities (19.3 percent)

8. Arkansas

Unemployment rate: 5.9 percent

Population: 2,834,797

Mean annual wage: $30,870

Top industry: Trade, transportation and utilities (20.6 percent)

9. Nevada

Unemployment rate: 5.8 percent

Population: 2,565,382

Mean annual wage: $36,000

Top industry: Leisure and hospitality (26.5 percent)

10. Kentucky

Unemployment rate: 5.7 percent

Population: 4,241,474

Mean annual wage: $33,490

Top industry: Trade, transportation and utilities (20.4 percent)



*Unemployment rates, mean annual wages and industry percentages obtained from BLS in January 2008. Percentages based on nonfarm payrolls, seasonally adjusted.

**Population figures based on U.S. Census Bureau data.

***Top industries are those that employ the largest percentage of a state’s labor force.

Of course, at DraftHaley.com, they are touting what an economic machine Barbour is for our state. Something just doesn't seem to add up here.

Governor Barbour responded with fiscal discipline, balanced budgets, and no new taxes. The result has been the creation of more than 38,000 jobs, the highest employment level in Mississippi history and a 15 percent increase in personal income.





1 comment:

  1. We're a poor, heavily rural state; the 6.8% unemployment rate doesn't stun me. The question is how we fix it, and this is where Barbour's pro-corporate policies could be an asset rather than a liability. We need more out of state enterprise, and economic development, in Mississippi if we're going to chip away at those unemployment numbers.

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