WASHINGTON – The Joint Economic Committee (JEC) Democrats’ monthly State-by-State Snapshots for June show that private-sector employment was up in 27 states, while unemployment fell in 21 states and the District of Columbia.
 
The economic snapshots also show that average hourly earnings, adjusted for inflation, increased in 37 states over the past year and declined in 13 states and the District of Columbia.
 
In the last 12 months, 48 states and the District of Columbia gained private-sector jobs.
California gained the most with 435,900 jobs, while Utah led on a percentage basis with a 5.0 percent increase.
 
The largest declines in the unemployment rate last month came in New Jersey, with a 0.4 percentage point decline, followed by Connecticut and the District of Columbia, with 0.3 percentage point declines each.  Nebraska posted the lowest unemployment rate at 2.6 percent, followed by North Dakota at 3.1 percent and Utah at 3.5 percent.
 
“This month’s economic snapshots show steady and solid gains in employment and in earnings for most of the country, as we have seen for the last several years, but we know not everyone who wants to work full time is able to find a job,” said JEC Ranking Member Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.). “The only thing that will move this country toward full employment is investment – investment in infrastructure, in education and in research. We can and will do better.”

The largest private-sector job gains in June occurred in California, where 25,700 jobs were added to the economy. New York, with a gain of 24,200, and Virginia, with a gain of 13,500, followed. On a percentage basis, South Dakota, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, Colorado, Kansas and Massachusetts led the field.
 
South Dakota recorded the largest gain in hourly earnings, adjusted for inflation, over the past 12 months, with a 4.5 percent increase, followed by Nevada with a 4.2 percent increase and Idaho with a 4.1 percent increase.
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