WASHINGTON – All but six states experienced private-sector job gains for the year ending December 31, 2015, and unemployment declined in 42 states and the District of Columbia over the same period, according to a report released Tuesday by the Joint Economic Committee Democrats.

The report contains details on the economic status of all 50 states and the District of Columbia in 2015, including growth comparisons between now and the depths of the Great Recession.

“The Obama recovery touched almost every corner of these great United States in 2015, with businesses adding 2.6 million jobs last year,” said JEC Ranking Democrat Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.). “While the economic recovery may be slower than we would like – and weak wage growth is a particular concern – job gains have continued on a steady, upward trajectory while unemployment continued to decline steadily. The economic security of American families is far stronger today than when President Obama took office in 2009.”

Thirteen states experienced private-sector job gains of 2.5 percent or more in 2015. Fourteen states and the District of Columbia experienced unemployment rate declines of at least 1.0 percentage point over the year. And average hourly earnings, adjusted for inflation, increased in 44 states in 2015.

In every state, the unemployment rate is lower now than it was at its recession-era peak, and private-sector employment is higher than it was at its recession-era low. About three-quarters of states and the District of Columbia have now recovered all of the private-sector jobs they lost during the economic downturn.

Over the course of 2015, 44 states and the District of Columbia gained private-sector jobs, with California gaining the most (423,900 jobs), followed by Florida (238,900), New York (163,000), Texas (141,300) and Michigan (87,100). The largest percentage gains in private-sector employment during 2015 were in Idaho (5.2 percent), South Carolina (3.8 percent), Utah, Florida (3.5 percent each) and California (3.2 percent). Nationally, private-sector employment increased by 2.1 percent from December 2014 to December 2015.

 North Dakota ended 2015 with the lowest unemployment rate (2.7 percent in December), followed by Nebraska, South Dakota (2.9 percent each), New Hampshire (3.1 percent) and Hawaii (3.2 percent).

 New Mexico had the highest unemployment rate (6.7 percent), followed by the District of Columbia (6.6 percent), Alaska (6.5 percent), Mississippi, Nevada (6.4 percent each) and West Virginia (6.3 percent).

 During 2015, 42 states and the District of Columbia reported declines in their unemployment rate. The largest declines were in Rhode Island (down 1.7 percentage points), Indiana, Maine (down 1.5 percentage points each), California, Michigan and Oregon (down 1.3 percentage points each).

The largest real (inflation-adjusted) average hourly earnings gains were posted in Delaware (7.3 percent), Vermont (4.6 percent), Iowa, South Dakota (4.0 percent each) and Oregon (3.9 percent). Real earnings declined in six states and the District of Columbia. Nationally, real average hourly earnings increased by 1.7 percent (not seasonally adjusted) over 2015.

The District of Columbia ($36.73) had the highest average hourly earnings in December 2015, followed by Massachusetts ($30.90), Washington ($30.23), Connecticut ($29.64) and New York ($28.78).

 

 

Click here for the full report, including an executive summary, state reports,
additional charts and sources.

 

 

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