How Are the Western States Faring?

By Lee McPheters Research Economist A state-by-state look at labor market indicators provides some insight into how hard the current contraction is hitting the Western states. Unemployment Although the national unemployment rate rose from 8.5 percent in March to 8.9 percent in April, the rate fell or was unchanged in 33 states and rose in only 17. In the West, the rate fell in Arizona, California, Colorado, Montana, and New Mexico, was unchanged in Idaho, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming, and rose in Nevada and Oregon.

Nevada and Oregon, along with California, have unemployment rates in the double-digit range (see Table 1). The 12 percent unemployment rate in Oregon is surpassed at the national level only by Michigan's 12.9 percent rate. California's 11.0 unemployment rate for April is down from the all-time high for the state recorded just last month at 11.2 percent.

Nevada, at 10.6 percent, is approaching the December, 1982 all time high of 10.7 percent. And Oregon is a whisker ... more.

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