Two government reports document massive increase in company layoffs while
workers in more than 90 percent of the states lose jobs.
In the first report, the U.S Department of Labor reported that there were 2,269 mass layoff actions
(involving at least 50 workers) in September, up 497 from August, and the highest monthly number
since the 2,407 reported in September 2001.
The second report shows that workers in 46 out of the 50 states suffered job losses. States
with both the highest unemployment rates -- and the biggest jumps in unemployment from
September 2007 -- include:
California (7.7 percent unemployment, from 5.6 percent a year ago)
Kentucky (7.1 percent unemployment, from 5.4 percent a year ago)
Michigan (8.7 percent unemployment, from 7.3 percent a year ago)
Mississippi (7.8 percent unemployment, from 6.3 percent a year ago)
Nevada (7.3 percent unemployment, from 5.0 percent a year ago)
Ohio (7.2 percent unemployment, from 5.7 percent a year ago)
Rhode Island (8.8 percent unemployment, from 5.1 percent a year ago)
South Carolina (7.3 percent unemployment, from 5.9 percent a year ago)
Tennessee (7.2 percent unemployment, from 4.9 percent a year ago)
States with the lowest unemployment rates? They include:
Nebraska (3.5 percent unemployment, from 3.1 percent a year ago)
North Dakota (3.6 percent unemployment, from 3.3 percent a year ago)
Oklahoma (3.8 percent unemployment, from 4.3 percent a year ago)
South Dakota (3.2 percent unemployment, from 2.9 percent a year ago)
Utah (3.5 percent unemployment, from 2.8 percent a year ago)
Simply comparing net jobs between August and September 2008, 11 states and the
District of Columbia registered statistically significant negative changes in employment,
including Michigan, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina, Arizona, Kentucky, Washington,
Wisconsin, the District of Columbia, Oregon, Montana, and Idaho.
While some experts are predicting the job cuts to begin to slow as employers
reduce staffing to its lowest functional levels, more job losses will continue
until the economy begins to rebound.
For job-seekers, there are still employers hiring (even as they are firing others),
but finding those employers will take much more time and effort.
