June unemployment - by state

[question everything]

As I was looking at the map and the table

http://data.bls.gov/map/servlet/map.servlet.MapToolServlet?survey=la

I observed several things:

Yes, Michigan is the highest - 15.2 - but was surprised to see how high Oregon is: 12.2, higher than California and Nevada.

And right behind Oregon (and Rhode Island at 12.4) is... South Caroline at 12.1. Same South Carolina where its hiking governor refused the stimulus package..

And while it is not surprising that the mountain states have the lowest rate, I found it interesting that Louisiana came at a low 6.8.

[Sebastian Doyle]

1. Could Louisiana's relatively low rate have to do with post-Katrina construction jobs?

I really don't have any idea what's going on down there, but that's just a guess. And one that involves a unique situation that might exclude typical economic factors in other states.

[question everything]

2. Either that, or a decrease in population, also post-Katrina (nt)

[Octafish]

3. What did that map look like in January, 2001?

Not that it makes any difference who's pretzeldent, or anything.

[question everything]

4. Janauary 2001 - are you sure you want to see it?

With Alaska the highest at 6.2

D.C - 5.8

Louisiana - 5.4

Washington, Oregon and Illinois at 5.3, 5.2 and 5.1

Oh, W. Virginia at 5.2, too.

http://data.bls.gov/map/servlet/map.servlet.MapToolServlet?datatype=unemployment&year=2001&period=M01&survey=la&map=state&seasonal=s

[Octafish]

11. Thank you!

Times sure have changed for the United States.

We had several million more high-paying manufacturing jobs then. Gone never to return.

[FarCenter]

6. Jan 2001 the highest state was Alaska at 6.2%

At the link, the maps are interactive.

[FarCenter]

7. June 2009 looks a lot like June 1982

[Octafish]

12. By then it was too late, according to Uncle Sam...

U.S. Jobs Lost Since 2001 Gone For Good, Study Says

That was 2003. And everything Bush and Cheney and who knows who else have done has only served to advance the cause of Wall Street, China and Switzerland.

[dixiegrrrrl]

13. and 1980.

[FarCenter]

5. Baraga County, MI unemployment 26.2%

Interesting maps, thanks.

[MichiganVote]

8. Michigan is overall in a depression. Unemployment is much higher in reality.

[question everything]

9. I know. Michigan situation is unique, of course.

But I wonder why Oregon and RI are so high.

[MichiganVote]

10. Not sure. But I wouold think that the size of the population makes a difference in the scheme of

things. Oregon and RI do seem to have a diverse base of smaller businesses and no doubt these affect stats. In truth, a state needs a healthy base of international business and state or locally owned businesses to survive nowadays. The housing crisis may also be in play in these states too. In Michigan its all of those things.

[Stuart G]

14. I wonder what the map will look like in a year? nt

[cascadiance]

15. Oregon's numbers are largely due to construction work layoffs...

Some might extrapolate that with the state being well above 12% that Portland would be up there with Detroit, but most of the unemployed are in the outlying areas such as Bend, etc.

When you think about it, Oregon was probably growing a lot right up before the economic downturn, with a lot of people leaving places like California (like me!) to find some place that was cheaper and still along the coast. Oregon's a good state for that, and has no sales tax too.

So when the economic downturn went worse, and the housing market as well as the business market started shrinking, the once expanding construction demand likely plumeted, leaving a lot of people out of work in that area.

I'm speculating, and hoping, that when the economy comes back, people will realize that Oregon is a very well situated locale for economic expansion, with a cost of living that's already lower than other parts of the coast relatively speaking, and is also still a very nice place aesthetically, and with places like Portland, having the resources and culture of larger metro areas to get business focusing on starting to grow there when things do pick up again.

Note though that though Oregon's unemployment is very high, it's budget is still balanced compared to the states around it who are having heavy deficits. They put together a "rainy day fund" some years back that I guess is paying off now. Hope it lasts though with this much unemployment.

http://money.cnn.com/news/storysupplement/economy/gapmap/index.htm

[Wednesdays]

16. K&R

:kick: