The five worst jobless rates in March:
1. Michigan - 12.6%
2. Oregon - 12.1%
3. South Carolina - 11.4%
4. California - 11.2%
5. North Carolina - 10.8%
Clips from the latest (April 17, 2009) Bureau of Labor Standards report:
[emphasis added]
"The over-the-year percentage increases in employment occurred in the District of Columbia (+0.8 percent), Alaska (+0.7 percent), North Dakota (+0.3 percent), and Louisiana and Wyoming (+0.2 percent each)."
. . .
"The 2 states to show an over-the-month increase in employment were Mississippi (+300 or less than +0.1 percent) and North Dakota (+300 or +0.1 percent)."
. . .
"The largest over-the-year percentage decreases in employment occurred in Arizona (-7.0 percent), Michigan (-6.4 percent), Florida, Nevada, and Oregon (-5.4 percent each), and Idaho and North Carolina (-5.0 percent each)."
. . .
"Oregon reported the largest jobless rate increase from a year earlier (+6.6 percentage points), followed by South Carolina (+5.5 points), North Carolina (+5.4 points), and Michigan (+5.0 points)."
