Highlights… er, Lowlights from the March BLS States Report

The BLS released it’s state level data for March and the picture was, once again, not pretty for us badgers.

In March 2012, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 29 states and the District of Columbia, decreased in 20 states, and was unchanged in Alabama. The largest over-the-month increase in employment occurred in New York (+19,100), followed by California (+18,200) and Arizona (+13,500). The largest over-the-month decrease in employment occurred in Ohio (-9,500), followed by New Jersey (-8,600) and Wisconsin (-4,500)Arizona experienced the largest over-the-month percentage increase in employment (+0.6 percent), followed by the District of Columbia and Nebraska (+0.5 percent each). Maine experienced the largest over-the-month percentage decline in employment (-0.5 percent), followed by Wyoming (-0.3 percent). Over the year, nonfarm employment increased in 45 states and the District of Columbia, decreased in 4 states, and was unchanged in Alabama. The largest over-the-year percentage increase occurred in North Dakota (+6.5 percent). The largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment occurred in Wisconsin (-0.9 percent).

Wisconsin lost nearly 1% of the active workforce.  That’s horrific.  But wait, there’s more…

Over the year, 27 states and the district experienced statistically significant increases in employment. The largest increase occurred in Texas (+245,700), followed by California (+181,000) and New York  (+155,300). Wisconsin was the only state to show a statistically significant decrease (-23,900).

Wisconsin: the only state to show a decrease in year-over-year employment…   How’s that 250,000 new private sector job pledge looking, Governor Walker???

Don’t you feel special now?

Table D.  States with statistically significant employment changes from
March 2011 to March 2012, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              |   March     |   March     | Over-the-year
           State              |    2011     |   2012(p)   |    change(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arizona.......................|   2,399,000 |   2,448,800 |      49,800
California....................|  14,056,300 |  14,237,300 |     181,000
Colorado......................|   2,244,700 |   2,290,500 |      45,800
District of Columbia..........|     725,500 |     738,600 |      13,100
Florida.......................|   7,238,900 |   7,328,700 |      89,800
Georgia.......................|   3,877,000 |   3,908,800 |      31,800
Idaho.........................|     606,700 |     615,700 |       9,000
Indiana.......................|   2,830,800 |   2,867,000 |      36,200
Kansas........................|   1,331,000 |   1,352,500 |      21,500
Kentucky......................|   1,787,700 |   1,821,900 |      34,200
                              |             |             |            
Louisiana.....................|   1,908,100 |   1,952,100 |      44,000
Maryland......................|   2,538,600 |   2,588,200 |      49,600
Massachusetts.................|   3,211,300 |   3,241,600 |      30,300
Michigan......................|   3,925,500 |   3,982,000 |      56,500
Minnesota.....................|   2,673,200 |   2,704,700 |      31,500
New Jersey....................|   3,843,500 |   3,881,800 |      38,300
New York......................|   8,649,400 |   8,804,700 |     155,300
North Carolina................|   3,920,100 |   3,958,900 |      38,800
North Dakota..................|     387,900 |     413,300 |      25,400
Ohio..........................|   5,077,400 |   5,137,000 |      59,600
                              |             |             |            
Oklahoma......................|   1,542,500 |   1,580,100 |      37,600
Pennsylvania..................|   5,682,700 |   5,728,400 |      45,700
Tennessee.....................|   2,647,300 |   2,691,300 |      44,000
Texas.........................|  10,496,000 |  10,741,700 |     245,700
Utah..........................|   1,197,200 |   1,226,200 |      29,000
Virginia......................|   3,674,900 |   3,712,900 |      38,000
Washington....................|   2,806,100 |   2,850,100 |      44,000
West Virginia.................|     751,500 |     761,300 |       9,800
Wisconsin.....................|   2,754,500 |   2,730,600 |     -23,900
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
   p = preliminary.
Share:

Related Articles

4 thoughts on “Highlights… er, Lowlights from the March BLS States Report

  1. Even more remarkable in that report is that Wisconsin gained 3,500 jobs in March in ‘recreation’, and areas like bars and restaurants, probably as a result of the record warmth in March. Take that one-time blip out, and Wisconsin lost 8,000 jobs! The 4,500 lost in construction is especially noteworthy….and scary.

    Walker is an absolute disaster on any economic front, and as mentioned earlier, the Dem standard line should include ’50th in jobs! 50th in income growth!’ Maybe these out-of-staters like Walker so much because his awful record makes their state look good by comparison. It would fit with the ‘tallest midget’ mentality of people weak enough to support Scott Walker

  2. One has to wonder how many of these jobs lost were because of teachers and other union workers “retiring” in order to keep the full benefits they they they are owed from taxpayers.

  3. Dante- Given that it was March and school is still in session, I’m guessing that answer is ZERO for March. In fact, state government employment went up by 1,300 for March.

    Your boy has failed, and you are too much of a wimp to admit it. Enjoy your whuppings the next 6 1/2 months as you cliung to the FAILED philosophy of tinkle-on economics.

  4. Jake is correct in pointing out Scott Walker’s abject failure, in large part, is due to his economic philosophy. Perhaps it would be useful to bear in mind that even if Scott Walker is defeated, there are many more Scott Walkers, Fitzgeralds et alia waiting in the wings.

    One has to wonder what might inspire Dante’s comment regarding public servants; it appears to reveal an attitude that can only be deemed patently unpatriotic. To serve the public, the common good, had been considered by the founding fathers and the Greek polis that inspired them, among the very highest of honors. How noxious and distorted a turn from Jefferson’s call for “unity of purpose,” whose vision of government was “wise and frugal” not improvident and austere. How interesting that Dante would so selflessly suggest that retiring teachers might desire to keep the full benefits they are “owed from taxpayers” without acknowledging the honor, respect and devotion the taxpayer owes to those very public servants. With what disdain Dante must view the public servant. Perhaps Dante suggests that Thomas Jefferson was incorrect when he noted that good government “shall not take from the mouth of labour the bread it has earned.”

Comments are closed.