Majority of states on the upside for jobs

Houston Business Journal - by G. Scott Thomas Business First of Buffalo

A majority of states have more jobs today than they did a year ago, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Thirty-one states increased their nonfarm employment totals between July 2009 and last month. Nineteen states suffered declines, while Wyoming was unchanged. (The number of states adds to 51 because the federal report includes the District of Columbia.)

Texas enjoyed the biggest increase in raw numbers, adding 134,600 nonfarm jobs during the past year. The runners-up were Indiana (up 47,600 jobs), Massachusetts (up 36,600) and Minnesota (up 23,200).

The Houston region reported an 8.8 percent unemployment rate in July, according to the most recent numbers from the Texas Workforce Commission.

California suffered the most dramatic decrease, shedding about 103,900 jobs in the past year, followed by New York, which lost about 51,400 positions.

The news was brighter in the short term, with three-quarters of the states registering gains between June and July of this year, based on seasonally adjusted numbers. Michigan had the biggest June-to-July gain, 27,800 jobs.
Texas unemployment was stable month-to-month at 8.5 percent. The national rate increased slightly to 9.7 percent.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics also released the latest unemployment rates for all states. North Dakota had the best rate in July, 3.6 percent, while Nevada had the worst, 14.3 percent.