Jobless Rates Drop in 41 states

According to the BLS, the jobless situation may be getting better:

For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Friday, October 19, 2012                USDL-12-2073

    REGIONAL AND STATE EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT -- SEPTEMBER 2012


Regional and state unemployment rates were generally lower in September.
Forty-one states and the District of Columbia recorded unemployment rate
decreases, six states posted rate increases, and three states had no change,
the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Forty-four states and
the District of Columbia registered unemployment rate decreases from a year
earlier, while six states experienced increases. The national jobless rate
decreased to 7.8 percent from August and was 1.2 percentage points lower
than in September 2011.

But I'd like to see data showing the split between full-time and part-time work.

Michigan Unemployment Rate Down to 8.3%

Michigan's unemployment rate has fallen to 8.3% from 14% at the height of the recession.

1 in 8 Families Has an Unemployed Family Member

From the BLS:

In 2010, 12.4 percent of families included an unemployed person—its highest level since the data series began in 1994. The proportion of families with an unemployed member in 2010 was up from 12.0 percent in 2009 and nearly double the 6.3 percent recorded in 2007. (The most recent recession began in December 2007 and ended in June 2009 according to the National Bureau of Economic Research.)

[Chart data]

Among families with an unemployed member in 2010, 67.7 percent also had an employed member, down from 68.6 percent in 2009 and 71.2 percent in 2007. Among married-couple families with an unemployed member in 2010, 79.4 percent contained at least one employed member.
In 2010, among married-couple families with children, 95.7 percent had an employed parent, unchanged from the prior year. The share of married-couple families where both parents worked fell to 58.1 percent in 2010 from 58.9 percent in 2009.

[Chart data]

In 2010, the mother was employed in 67.0 percent of families maintained by women with no spouse present, down from 67.8 percent in 2009. The father was employed in 75.8 percent of families maintained by men with no spouse present in 2010, little changed over the year.

Jobs Situation in the Midwest 2011 vs 2010

From the BLS: Among metropolitan areas in the 12 states of the Midwest region, the largest over-the-year employment increases from September 2010 to September 2011 occurred in Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, Illinois (+21,100), followed by Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington (+20,100), and Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, Wisconsin, (+17,400).

[Chart data]

Among metropolitan areas in the Midwest, 28 reported over-the-year decreases in nonfarm payroll employment, 62 reported increases, and 3 had no change in September 2011.
Sandusky, Ohio, reported an over-the-year percentage gain in employment of 7.0 percent (one of the nation's largest). St. Joseph, Missouri, recorded the largest percentage decrease in employment among metropolitan areas in the Midwest (−4.0 percent).
Among large metropolitan areas (metropolitan areas with annual average employment levels above 750,000 in 2010), two in the Midwest each had large over-the-year percentage decreases in employment: Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, Ohio, and Indianapolis-Carmel, Indiana (−0.3 percent each).
Bismarck, North Dakota, recorded the lowest unemployment rate in the Midwest (2.5 percent), followed by Fargo, North Dakota (3.3 percent), and Lincoln, Nebraska (3.5 percent).

[Chart data]

Ames, Dubuque, and Iowa City (all in Iowa), Mankato-North Mankato, and Rochester (both in Minnesota), Omaha-Council Bluffs (Nebraska), Grand Forks (North Dakota), and Rapid City, and Sioux Falls (both in South Dakota) all recorded unemployment rates between 4.0 and 5.0 percent in September.
September's highest unemployment rates in Midwest metropolitan areas were recorded in Rockford, Illinois (13.4 percent), Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Michigan (11.7 percent), and Kankakee-Bradley, Illinois (11.2 percent).

The Midwest BLS Information Office in Chicago has links to more data for the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin (which are all included in the Midwest region). The Mountain-Plains BLS Information Office in Kansas City services the states of Kansas and Missouri (which are included in the Midwest region), as well as Colorado, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming.

Unemployment Rate in Spain

Spain's unemployment rate is 23%. And the unemployment rate among young Spaniards is even worse. The current situation is even worse than the recession the country experienced in 1994 and significantly worse than the average of the Eurozone. The only country that gives it a run for the money is Greece. Given the PIIGS (Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain) tough debt situation, these countries will have a tough time improving their employment situation without somehow defaulting on their debt or leaving the Euro and weakening their currencies.

New York City Unemployment Rate around 8%

The metro New York City (New Jersey) area's unemployment rate is a little over 8%. While it's significantly worse than the 4% unemployment rate a decade ago, it's much better than the unemployment rate in Chicago or the 13% unemployment rate in Detroit. However, with many NY based financial firms (MF Global) giving its workers pink-slips before Christmas, it's possible that NYC's unemployment rate will once again start drifting upwards.

Chicago's Unemployment Rate is Above 10%

The unemployment rate is still above 10% in the Chicago metro-area. It has been elevated for almost 2 years and significantly higher than the 4% unemployment rate around 2000... With that many people out of work, I'm surprised more people aren't taking part in the Occupy Wall Street protests held around LaSalle Street and Grant Park...

Detroit's Unemployment rate

Detroit's unemployment rate has improved in the last year. As the chart above shows, the unemployment rate in the Detroit, Warren, Livonia district is now 12.7% (down from almost 16% just a few years ago). Of course, there are many more people out of work in Detroit than in Warren or Livonia--- And the other thing that helps out this statistic is when out of work people move out of the area. Hard to believe that just 10 years ago the unemployment rate in the area was just 3.5%! Back then the Big 3 were running their assembly plants on overtime, gas was cheap and SUV's were in demand... Now capacity has been taken out, gas is almost $4 per gallon and SUV's aren't as popular any more.

Michigan's Unemployment Rate is Over 11%

Michigan's Unemployment looks like it will end 2011 someplace around 11%. While it has improved quite a bit from 15% highs, it still well above historic norms... And in my opinion it is under-represents how many people and jobs have permanently left the state. I would think plenty of unemployed people packed up their bags and moved out of state to places further South and West where there are better job opportunities.

Unemployment Rate Falls to 9% in October

According to the the BLS, the unemployment rate in the United States fell to 9% in October as more than 80,000 jobs were created. Nonfarm payroll employment continued to trend up in October (+80,000), and the unemployment rate was little changed at 9.0 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment in the private sector rose, with modest job growth continuing in professional and businesses services, leisure and hospitality, health care, and mining. Government employment continued to trend down.

How tough is it to find work?

Yahoo News has put out an interesting article today that puts into perspective just how hard the 14 million unemployed Americans are having finding a job. Not only are they competing with other unemployed folks for open positions but also almost 9 million underemployed folks who are looking to switch from unrewarding part-time jobs into meaningful full-time employment. Additionally, both segments have to fight against people with full-time work that are looking to switch jobs or employers. With the nation's unemployment rate holding steady at 9.1% and the European situation getting worse, many companies are getting slightly more cautious as they see the current turmoil causing increasing uncertainty and therefore, they are a little more hesitant to invest new capital or to create new jobs. Many people are even running out of unemployment benefits after their 99 weeks have run out. How difficult has it been for you to find work?

Texas and Arkansas see highest unemployment rate yet.

As Calculated Risk shows,during the most recent month two states (Texas and Arkansas) plus the District of Columbia have reached current high points regarding their levels of unemployed since the recession began in 2007.

Times are getting more uncertain and we could see more unemployment increases in the upcoming months.