Worst States for Job hunters

[blessednxs65]

If you've rewritten that résumé several times and sent out dozens of applications but your job search still shows no promise, you might not be the problem.

One frequently overlooked but critical factor in finding a new job is your state's unemployment rate. You can have the experience and skills of an employer's dream, but they won't do you any good if there just aren't enough jobs available.

The unemployment rate is the percentage of job seekers in the work force who are still looking for work. The higher the percentage, the more difficult it is to find a job. The national unemployment rate is 5 percent, based on the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

If you're looking for a job, you should see how your state compares to the rest of the country. Here are the 10 worst states to find work ranked by their unemployment rates.

1. Michigan
Unemployment rate: 7.6 percent
Population: 10,071,822
Mean annual wage: $41,230
Top industry: Trade, transportation and utilities (18.4 percent)***

2. Mississippi
Unemployment rate: 6.8 percent
Population: 2,918,785
Mean annual wage: $30,460
Top industry: Government (21.2 percent)

3. South Carolina
Unemployment rate: 6.6 percent
Population: 4,407,709
Mean annual wage: $33,400
Top industry: Trade, transportation and utilities (19.4 percent)

4. Alaska
Unemployment rate: 6.5 percent
Population: 683,478
Mean annual wage: $43,920
Top industry: Government (25.9 percent)

5. California
Unemployment rate: 6.1 percent
Population: 36,553,215
Mean annual wage: $44,180
Top industry: Trade, transportation and utilities (18.9 percent)

6. District of Columbia
Unemployment rate: 6.1 percent
Population: 588,292
Mean annual wage: $61,500
Top industry: Government (33.3 percent)

7. Ohio
Unemployment rate: 6 percent
Population: 11,466,917
Mean annual wage: $37,360
Top industry: Trade, transportation and utilities (19.3 percent)

8. Arkansas
Unemployment rate: 5.9 percent
Population: 2,834,797
Mean annual wage: $30,870
Top industry: Trade, transportation and utilities (20.6 percent)

9. Nevada
Unemployment rate: 5.8 percent
Population: 2,565,382
Mean annual wage: $36,000
Top industry: Leisure and hospitality (26.5 percent)

10. Kentucky
Unemployment rate: 5.7 percent
Population: 4,241,474
Mean annual wage: $33,490
Top industry: Trade, transportation and utilities (20.4 percent)

*Unemployment rates, mean annual wages and industry percentages obtained from BLS in January 2008. Percentages based on nonfarm payrolls, seasonally adjusted.
**Population figures based on U.S. Census Bureau data.
***Top industries are those that employ the largest percentage of a state's labor force

 

[Saully]

Time to stop having negative thoughts about my job -- at least I have one.

 

[CWS]

The problem with these statistics is lthat ooking at unemployment on a state level is like saying New York is all big city and skyscrapers. Unemployment changes county by county and city by city. Unemployment rates also have little factor in certain job sectors versus others.

 

[PetersCreek]

4. Alaska
Unemployment rate: 6.5 percent
Population: 683,478
Mean annual wage: $43,920
Top industry: Government (25.9 percent)

Meh. I don't consider that statistic very useful. Considering the size and diversity of our state, it's pretty damn silly...and I'm guessing the same goes for other locales as well. If you're going to market yourself for employment, you need to know and consider your target market.

True enough, Alaska's statewide (all 571,951 square miles of it) unemployment rate is now 6.7 percent. This figure includes areas like Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon (21.1%) and Aleutians East (15.4%) where people are more scarce and jobs are even moreso. Is that where you're sending resumes or are you looking in areas where there are more jobs?

The Municipality of Anchorage is home to more than 40 percent of the state's population. The Muni's current unemployment rate is 5.1% with a history of modest-to-robust job growth for several years. Average family income is about 23% above the national average, which more than makes up for the higher-than-average cost of living.

Looking for better-than-average unemployment? Juneau comes in at 4.8 percent. But the leader is the North Slope, currently at 4.5 percent. Sounds great...if you have a marketable skill for that area. Pool cleaners, personal style consultants, and spa technicians are going to have a tougher time of it up there than that number would suggest, though. :laugh:

 

[thecatmac]

Michigan is pretty bad right now, that's for sure! Lots of homes for sale. If I had a choice I would be moving out of here too! I would go to South Carolina as my first choice.

 

[Colebass]

But like all number, they only tell part of the story. Also before applying and packing your bags you should consider:

Housing prices, schools, crime, culture or diversity, CIGAR SMOKING Regulations! and a host of other things.

One of the set of numbers that stand out to me is the average income. California is not as high as I would have thought, but yet the cost of housing, even with the declining markets is high. I have family that live in Mississippi and the housing prices are at least half of what we pay in my area of California.

Cole

 

[Rich K]

I'm not surprised Mississippi is right near the top. Seems about right.

 

[cvm4]

Hey hey now!!!

 

[Rich K]

I'm living in one of the poorest counties in the country, and tons of people live off of welfare here. Maybe it's different around Jackson or the coast, but the Delta alone will drag the state to the bottom economically.

 

[cvm4]

Yup, that's basically it. Though Toyota opening a plant in MS will help somewhat.

 

[Mickeyray5]

The wages stated are the "mean" not the average. If the number is $35000, that means that half the people earn more and half earn less.

 

[Smurf]

The problem with these statistics is lthat ooking at unemployment on a state level is like saying New York is all big city and skyscrapers. Unemployment changes county by county and city by city. Unemployment rates also have little factor in certain job sectors versus others.

Chuck hits is smack on the money i think.

 

[MichiganM]

Michigan is doing pretty bad right now, and that's the common theme up here right now. Luckily, my side of the state is not near as bad as the east side.

 

[Saully]

The wages stated are the "mean" not the average. If the number is $35000, that means that half the people earn more and half earn less.

The mean is the sum of all employees' salaries divided by the number of employees. What you suggest is the median, which is often a more realistic measurement.