̹½ÊÓƵ Unemployment Rate: Lowest Record Since 1976

State unemployment rate stands at a record low
On Friday, April 15th, released state employment numbers for ̹½ÊÓƵ. They show that our state unemployment rate stands at a record low of 3.1%, the lowest since the BLS began tracking in 1976.
The ̹½ÊÓƵ Center for Opportunity’s (GCO) take: “At 3.1%, ̹½ÊÓƵ is tied with Arkansas for the 16th lowest unemployment rate, a half point below the national unemployment rate of 3.6%,” said Erik Randolph, GCO’s director of research. “̹½ÊÓƵ is among the 16 states that have recovered all the private employment lost due to the pandemic. According to our analysis, ̹½ÊÓƵ ranks 10th in the nation when comparing private employment to each state’s pre-pandemic private employment growth trajectory.”
“Labor force participation is still an area of weakness. ̹½ÊÓƵ’s rate ranks 26th in the nation. While ̹½ÊÓƵ’s labor force participation rate edged up from 61.9% in February to 62.1% in March, it is still below its pre-pandemic rate of 62.8%. It is also well below the states with the highest rates. Nebraska leads the nation with 69.8% participation, just 0.2 points below its pre-pandemic rate”
“The national economic picture is worrisome and can put a damper on the improving job picture. Rising inflation and supply-side problems are creating uncertainty that will impact entrepreneurial decision-making and alter the economic outlook. Some economic indicators are beginning to point to a possible economic slowdown. Although these prognostications are not certain, they are concerning.”
For more, read Randolph’s research report on the economic impact of the pandemic shutdowns.
