Jobless Rates Jump in 26 States

Ariz., Fla., Ill., Mich., and NJ among others facing crises

(NEWSER) - California has by no means cornered the market on enormous financial problems at the state level, with a report out today saying Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin are also at tremendous risk. The Pew Center sees widespread unemployment, huge budget deficits, and the ongoing foreclosure crisis as common factors—plus various constraints that keep many of the states from raising taxes. More»

Northeast, Midwest would lose seats if today's census was used

(NEWSER) - The South is gaining population and power at the expense of the Northeast and Midwest, according to Census Bureau estimates released yesterday. If House seats were distributed based on the estimates, which are believed to be a strong predictor of the 2010 census results, Texas would be the big winner, gaining three seats, with Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, Utah, and Washington each adding one. More»

(NEWSER) - The unemployment rate in California rose to 11.2% in March, the Los Angeles Times reports today. A loss of 62,100 jobs puts the state at the highest jobless level since 1976, when recording started. It trails only Michigan (12.6%), Oregon (12.1%), and South Carolina (11.4%). California has lost 637,400 jobs in the past 12 months, and its jobless rate far exceeds the national average of 8.5%. More»

California, Michigan, South Carolina and Rhode Island lead jobless statistics

(AP) - Four states—California, South Carolina, Michigan, and Rhode Island—registered unemployment rates above 10% in January, and the national rate is expected to hit double digits by year-end. The US Labor Department's report on state unemployment, released today, showed the increasing damage inflicted on workers and companies from a recession now in its second year. More»

People in their prime working years aren't finding jobs

(NEWSER) - The unemployment rate may be improving, but that doesn't mean the job market is, and there's one group in particular that's having an alarmingly hard time finding work: People in their prime working years. Only 75.7% of people aged 25 to 54 have jobs, the Washington Post reports, a portion smaller than any seen in the 23 years before the recession. Men have been hit especially hard; their percentage hasn't been this low since 1948. More»