Regional and State Unemployment, 2014 Annual Average Summary: Historic Lows

Some will dispute my assertion that we again see Democratic Administrations manage the US economy at a far better level than Republican administrations.

Phil Ebersole’s Blog

The Bush Administration experienced some fantastic stock performance and lower unemployment years. The artificially fueled US economy riding the tide of a sub-rime bubble helped with a false since of veracity for trickle-down supply-side economics.

The BLS published a summary of Regional and State Unemployment averages for 2014. If you read through the summary, it may not be possible to blindly believe the GOP is good for the US economy.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics

Regional and State Unemployment, 2014 Annual Average Summary

For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Wednesday, March 4, 2015                        USDL-15-0323

Technical information: (202) 691-6392  •  lausinfo@bls.gov  •  www.bls.gov/lau
Media contact:         (202) 691-5902  •  PressOffice@bls.gov

REGIONAL AND STATE UNEMPLOYMENT 2014 ANNUAL AVERAGES 

In 2014, annual average unemployment rates declined in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment-population ratios increased in 35 states and the District of Columbia, decreased in 12 states, and were unchanged in 3 states. The U.S. jobless rate decreased by 1.2 percentage points to 6.2 percent in 2014, while the national employment-population ratio increased by 0.4 point to 59.0 percent.

Regional Unemployment

All four regions had annual average unemployment rate declines from 2013, with the Midwest and Northeast having the largest decreases (-1.4 percentage points each). The Midwest, at 5.8 percent, had the lowest regional unemployment rate in 2014, while the West, at 6.8 percent,had the highest rate. (See table 1.) 

Among the nine geographic divisions, the West North Central had the lowest annual average unemployment rate, 4.6 percent in 2014. The Pacific had the highest jobless rate, 7.2 percent. All nine divisions hadover-the-year unemployment rate declines, the largest of which occurred in the East North Central (-1.7 percentage points) and Middle Atlantic (-1.5 points).

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 |  Changes to Local Area Unemployment Statistics Data | | All subnational estimates presented in this news release, except those for Puerto | Rico, were produced using a new generation of time-series models. Information is | available in the “Report on Revision to State and Area Time-Series Models” on the | BLS website at www.bls.gov/lau/lauschanges2015.htm. | | Effective with this news release, data have been re-estimated back to 1976 for | regions, divisions, states, and the District of Columbia. The annual average data | shown in tables 1 and 2 were affected, as were monthly seasonally adjusted and not | seasonally adjusted data.                                             
 |____________________________________________________________________________________|

State Unemployment 

Annual average unemployment rates decreased from 2013 to 2014 in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. This was the first year since1984 in which all states and the District had over-the-year rate declines. The largest rate decline occurred in Illinois (-2.0 percentage points), followed by Colorado, North Carolina, and Ohio (-1.8 points each). Twenty additional states had over-the-year jobless rate decreases of at least 1.0 percentage point. North Dakota had the lowest annual average unemployment rate (2.8 percent) in 2014. Nebraska (3.3 percent) and South Dakota (3.4 percent) had the next lowest jobless rates. Eleven additional states had annual average unemployment rates under 5.0 percent. Mississippi and Nevada had the highest jobless rates (7.8 percent each) among the states, followed by Rhode Island (7.7 percent). The District of Columbia also had a jobless rate of 7.8 percent. 

Regional Employment-Population Ratios 

In 2014, all four regions had over-the-year increases in their employment-population ratios--the proportion of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 years of age and older who are employed. The Midwesthad the largest increase (+0.8 percentage point). The Midwest also had the highest employment-population ratio, 61.3 percent, while the South had the lowest, 57.9 percent. (See table 2.) Eight of the 9 geographic divisions had over-the-year increases in their employment- population ratios, with the largest of these occurring in the East NorthCentral (+1.0 percentage point). The East South Central had the onlyratio decline over the year (-0.9 percentage point). The West North Central had the highest proportion of employed persons, 65.3 percent in 2014, while the East South Central had the lowest proportion, 53.6percent. State Employment-Population Ratios In 2014, Hawaii and Indiana had the largest over-the-year increases in their employment- population ratios (+1.4 percentage points each), followed by Louisiana (+1.2 points) and Connecticut (+1.1 points). Sixteen additional states had increases of at least 0.5 percentage point. Mississippi and Tennessee had the largest decreases in their employment-population ratios (-1.2 percentage points each). Four other states had declines of at least 0.5 percentage point. North Dakota had the highest proportion of employed persons, 70.8 percent in 2014. Four other states in the WestNorth Central division had the next highest ratios: Nebraska, 68.9 percent; Iowa, 67.3 percent; Minnesota, 67.0 percent; and South Dakota,66.9 percent. West Virginia had the lowest employment-population ratio among the states, 49.7 percent. West Virginia has had the lowest employment-population ratio each year since the series began in 1976. Three states had the lowest employment-population ratios in their series in 2014: Kentucky, 54.8 percent; Mississippi, 50.1 percent; and New Mexico, 53.6 percent.

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The Regional and State Employment and Unemployment news release for January 2015
is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, March 17, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).
The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for January 2015
is scheduled to be released on Friday, March 20, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).

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When data makes your case, the writer can simply push the “Submit” button!

November Jobs Report!!!

Quick Hit from The Rachel Maddow Blog’s Steve Benen.

During the month of November, the US economy performed at a level comparable  to the latter years of the Clinton Era. The November jobs report continued shining negative light on GOP economic policy while figuratively placing GOP obstruction to Obama policies on trial for sedition. Unemployment remains just below six percent and job grow exceeded 300,000. And one cable news network managed to avoid coverage of the economic news beyond a quick news report. We know which network down-played the good news via avoiding the story, If for some reason you are puzzled as to which network, look-over the following list and take a guess: A. MSNBC, B. CNN, C. Fox News.  

Since the 3rd Quarter of 2010 US job growth has shown positive numbers with unemployment as charted below….

   2014  2013  2012  2011  2010  2009  2008  2007  2006  2005  2004  2003  2002  2001  2000  1999  1998  1997  1996  1995  1994  1993  1992  1991  1990  1989  1988  1987  1986  1985  1984  1983  1982  1981  1980  1979  1978  1977  1976  1975  1974  1973  1972  1971  1970  1969  1968  1967  1966  1965  1964  1963  1962  1961  1960  1959  1958  1957  1956  1955  1954  1953  1952  1951  1950  1949  1948     2014  2013  2012  2011  2010  2009  2008  2007  2006  2005  2004  2003  2002  2001  2000  1999  1998  1997  1996  1995  1994  1993  1992  1991  1990  1989  1988  1987  1986  1985  1984  1983  1982  1981  1980  1979  1978  1977  1976  1975  1974  1973  1972  1971  1970  1969  1968  1967  1966  1965  1964  1963  1962  1961  1960  1959  1958  1957  1956  1955  1954  1953  1952  1951  1950  1949  1948    

Trading Economics.com
  

Trading Economics.com

Fire Shot screen capture w/highlight via The Pardu

One more….. Dueling recoveries. Obama vs. Bush!

The charts literally mock GOP economic policy, while pointing a finger at GOP obstruction while exclaiming “History will tell the story.” 

Now for Benen’s Job Growth charts.

As is customary, Benen’s monthly Job Growth charts are accompanied by job(s) revision reports from previous months: Linked here.

When President Obama stated the mid-term elections would in part involve votes on his policies he was correct. It is sad progressives, liberals and certain voting blocks did not visit the voting booths. Millennials voted at 13% of eligible voters. I also suspect the African-American vote fell shy of expectation.

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The White House: June Jobs Numbers

The Big Picture: This Month’s Jobs Numbers

Lindsay Holst

July 06, 2014
05:44 PM EDT

You might be seeing a lot of news about the economy creating more jobs.

That’s because at the beginning of every month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases a report on our country’s general employment situation for the previous month — and this month’s showed some good news.

What’s it all mean, and why should you care?

There’s still much more to do to keep moving forward, but we’ve put together a few key points about how our economy is doing generally. Take a look — and if you learn something new, pass it on.

Our country hasn’t seen this kind of job creation since the 1990s — and we’ve been adding more than 200,000 jobs a month for five months straight.

The 1.4 million jobs added in the first half of this year are the most in any half since 1999. What’s more, this is the first time since September 1999-January 2000 that we’ve seen total job growth above 200,000 for five straight months.

Auto sales in June are also the highest they’ve been since mid-2006 — before the financial crisis.

Let’s not forget that the American auto industry is continuing to bounce back — adding 18,000 jobs this past month for a total of 463,000 jobs added since Chrysler and GM came out of bankruptcy in June 2009.

Meanwhile, we’re continuing to produce more oil at home than we’re importing from overseas.

In addition to doubling renewable electricity generation from sources like wind and solar, last October something big happened: For the first time in nearly two decades, we started importing less foreign oil than we were producing at home.

It’s progress — but we’ve still got work to do.

Want a more in-depth look at what the jobs numbers mean, complete with more charts, numbers, and economist-speak? Take a look at this post from Jason Furman, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers.

And if you’re looking for more great charts and infographics related to the economy, visit our Shareables hub.