While a handful of states are leading the pack, recovering all the jobs they'd lost during the recession, Florida still remains in the midst of an employment comeback as one of the worst recovery states in the nation.
Alongside California and Michigan, Florida ranks amongst the worst-struggling states when it comes to job recovery after the 2008 recession. According to state-by-state employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Florida is 725,700 jobs under its pre-recession employment total, California is 891,200 under, and Michigan sits at 297,100 jobs below its pre-recession total. When it comes to available jobs in Tampa, something we adamantly promote, this is probably not the best of news.
Florida, California, and Michigan are amongst a vast majority, though. Of all 50 states, 41 are still below their pre-recession employment levels for this month during the year preceding the recession. The recession officially began during December of 2007 so these totals compare job numbers between this past May (2012) and May of 2007.
Nine states as well as the District of Columbia have gained enough jobs to match their pre-recession levels again. These states are (in order)...
- Texas with 410,400 more jobs in May 2012 compared to May 2007
- New York with 88,600 more jobs
- North Dakota with 59,800 more jobs
- The District of Columbia with 50,100 more jobs
- Louisiana with 38,700 more jobs
- Oklahoma with 20,600 more jobs
- Alaska with 8,300 more jobs
- Nebraska with 2,400 more jobs
- South Dakota with 1,900 more jobs
- West Virginia with 700 more jobs
As a whole, the nation is still 4.3 million jobs below its May 2007 total, but, as these totals indicate, progress is on the horizon.
We've got to ask - do you feel the sting of recession job loss in Florida? Are you, or do you know anyone, still searching for jobs in Tampa? Who or whom do you think is to blame? Let us know in the comments below.
