One Look Tells All: Unemployment State By State

One Look Says All: Unemployment State By State

The nearly universal buzz one hears these days is that both  the economy and the most important human number – unemployment - have been getting better. Have they really? Examine the record, using the below Wall Street Journal URL as a source:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704823004576192642637364416.html

Extracts from the above link are displayed in the below plot, showing 1) (red line) the highest unemployment, by state, in the last 2 years (Jan ’09 to Jan ’11), and 2) (blue line) the current unemployment as of Jan ’11. Table of data also provided below.

What can we learn from this plot? Well, it turns out that fully ten states have less than 0.1% improvement over their worst case in the last 2 years. Moreover, four states actually are in worse shape in Jan ’11 than their worst case in the 2 years prior. Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, West Virginia. That’s 20% of the states!. From an eyeball perspective, an improvement would look like a blue line consistently inside the red line. This is not what is seen. Hence the title: The “Improved” Unemployment Picture Is Unsupported By The Data

The National Bureau of Economic Research determined that the recession that began in December 2007 ended in June 2009. It is oft repeated (and true) that if one were to derive the unemployment figures the same as during the Great Depression, then the true rate would actually also be at Great Depression levels, i. e., 17% - 25%. But the Bernanke-Obama-Geithner nobless oblige bureaucratic intelligentsia cannot and will not acknowledge this. Because that would only hasten their own entry in the unemployment rolls.

The past election spoke in very loud volumes, but apparently loud enough neither for John Boehner, nor Majority Leader Eric Cantor, who are so frightened of the political consequences of a government shutdown that their ears no longer work. And Obama, who has bigger ears than any former president, is stone cold deaf on this. A tsunami of noise is coming in November 2012. The whistle on the Tea Party Express is the warning.

Are the States Doing Better Lately On  Unemployment?        Comparison (By State) of Highest  Unemployment In 2 yrs With Current (Jan '11)

 

Table: Highest Unemployment Rate (%) From January 2009 To January 2011, By State

	Highest 1-09 to 1-11	Jan '11			Highest 1-09 to 1-11	Jan '11			Highest 1-09 to 1-11	Jan '11
Alabama	11	9.2		Kentucky	10.9	10.4		NDakota	4.4	3.8
Alaska	8.5	7.5		Lousiana	8.2	7.9		Ohio	11	9.4
Arizona	9.7	9.6		Maine	8.3	7.5		Oklahoma	7	6.6
Arkansas	7.8	7.8		Maryland	7.9	7.2		Oregon	11.6	10.4
California	12.6	12.4		Massachusetts	9.5	8.3		Pennsylvania	9.3	8.2
Colorado	9.1	9.1		Michigan	14.5	10.7		Rhode Island	12.7	11.3
Connecticut	9.2	9		Minnesota	8.4	6.7		SCarolina	12.5	10.5
Delaware	9.2	8.5		Mississippi	11.6	10.1		SDakota	4.9	4.7
WashDC	12	9.6		Missouri	9.8	9.6		Tennessee	10.9	9.5
Florida	12.3	11.9		Montana	6.2	7.5		Texas	7.8	8.3
Georgia	10.5	10.4		Nebraska	5	4.2		Utah	6.6	7.6
Hawaii	7	6.3		Nevada	14.5	14.2		Vermont	7.2	5.7
Idaho	7.9	9.7		NewHampsh	7.1	5.6		Virginia	7.3	6.5
Illinois	11.5	9		NewJersey	10	9.1		Washington	9.5	9.1
Indiana	10.6	9		NewMexico	8.8	8.7		W Virginia	9.5	9.5
Iowa	6.9	6.1		NewYork	8.9	8.3		Wisconsin	8.9	7.4
Kansas	7.2	6.8		NCarolina	11.2	9.9		Wyoming	7.6	6.3