style='color:blue'>Joint Economic Committee (JEC)

style='color:blue'>Robert F. Bennett, Vice Chairman

State Employment and
Unemployment:  The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported regional and
state employment and unemployment for August today, available at href="http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/laus.pdf"
title="http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/laus.pdf">http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/laus.pdf. 


Highlights of the report:

style='font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:
Symbol'>·                   
Non-farm payroll employment increased in
35 states and the District of
Columbia and decreased in 14 states. 

style='font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:
Symbol'>·                   
Seven states recorded over-the-month unemployment
rate decreases that were statistically significant (Alaska,
Arizona, Mississippi,
Nevada, New York,
Texas, and w:st="on">Wisconsin).  w:st="on">West Virginia registered the only
statistically significant over-the-month unemployment rate increase.  The
remaining 42 states and the District
of Columbia did not have statistically significant
unemployment rate changes over the month.

style='mso-list:Ignore'>·       
Largest over-the-month percent increases
in payroll employment:

style='font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:
Symbol'>·       
Kentucky (+0.5%); Alaska, the District of
Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Dakota, and
Wyoming (+0.4% each; Arizona, Colorado, and Florida (+0.3% each). 

style='mso-list:Ignore'>·                   
Largest over-the-year percent increases
in payroll employment:

style='font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:
Symbol'>·       
Nevada (+5.3%),
Arizona (+4.6%), and w:st="on">Idaho (+4.4%).

Jeffrey Wrasestyle='color:blue'>

Chief Economist
to the Vice Chairman

Joint Economic
Committee

G-07 w:st="on">Dirksen w:st="on">Senate Office
Buildingstyle='color:black'>

(202) 224-2335style='color:black'>

href="mailto:jeff_wrase@jec.senate.gov" title="mailto:jeff_wrase@jec.senate.gov">jeff_wrase@jec.senate.gov