New York, Texas Lead Expansion of Payrolls Across 42 U.S. States for April
Payrolls Climb in 42 U.S. States, Led by New York and Texas
Aaron Sprecher/Bloomberg
Job seekers line up. The report signals the 244,000 workers added in April, as shown in the government’s May 6 report, were dispersed throughout the country.
Job seekers line up. The report signals the 244,000 workers added in April, as shown in the government’s May 6 report, were dispersed throughout the country. Photographer: Aaron Sprecher/Bloomberg
Payrolls grew in 42 U.S. states in April, while the unemployment rate fell in 39, indicating broad-based strengthening in the labor market.
New York led the nation with a 45,700 increase in employment, followed by Texas with 32,900 more jobs. Joblessness decreased most in Nevada, even as it remained the state with the highest rate in the country at 12.5 percent, figures from the Labor Department showed today in Washington.
The report signals the 244,000 workers added in April, as shown in the government’s May 6 report, were dispersed throughout the country. The data also suggest the unexpected increase in the unemployment rate nationally last month was limited in scope.
“The job gains are now filtering through most sectors of the economy,” Eric Green, chief market economist at TD Securities Inc. in New York, said before the report. “You’re beginning to see small- and medium-sized businesses moving more firmly into hiring, which is driven by rising sales expectations and stronger domestic demand pulling consumption higher.”
The jobless rate in Nevada fell 0.7 percentage point in April, the report showed. The rates in New Mexico and Oklahoma each dropped 0.5 percentage point. California had the second- highest rate in the nation, at 11.9 percent.
Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Florida, with employment increases of 23,700, 19,500 and 14,900 respectively, rounded out the five states showing the biggest payroll gains.
Lowest in U.S.
The jobless rate in North Dakota, the lowest in U.S., decreased to 3.3 percent from 3.6 March.
Unemployment climbed most in Mississippi, where it rose 0.2 percentage point to 10.4 percent. The only other two states to show an increase were Alabama and Tennessee. The jobless rate also rose in the District of Columbia.
While employment prospects have improved, the U.S. economy cooled in the first quarter as government spending declined by the most since 1983 and household purchases slowed.
Payrolls have grown for seven consecutive months, the longest stretch of gains since the beginning of 2007, Labor Department figures show. At the same time, gross domestic product rose at a 1.8 percent annual rate from January through March after a 3.1 percent pace in the final three months of 2010, the Commerce Department said April 28.
Feeling ‘Better’
“Employment and disposable income are slowly improving, while housing turnover is restrained and home prices continue to decline,” Lowe’s Cos. Chief Executive Officer Robert Niblock said in a May 16 conference call. “Customers may feel better about their employment situation but are uneasy due to higher fuel, clothing, and food costs, as well as geopolitical issues around the world.”
Mooresville, North Carolina-based Lowe’s, the second- largest U.S. home improvement retailer, reported first-quarter profit that trailed analysts’ estimates and lowered its 2011 profit forecast after customers cut back on renovations.
State and local employment data are derived independently from the national statistics, which are typically released on the first Friday of every month. The state figures are subject to larger sampling errors because they come from smaller surveys, making the national figures more reliable, according to the government’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Kowalski in Washington at akowalski13@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Christopher Wellisz at cwellisz@bloomberg.net
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