We’re #2! We’re #2!
March 30th, 2012 at 12:41 pm by Ted Nesi under Nesi's Notes
… at least when it comes to unemployment rates:
Many of the states hit hardest by the housing bust are also showing signs of health. Florida’s unemployment rate has fallen to 9.4 percent from 10.8 percent a year earlier. California’s rate is still painfully high at 10.9 percent. But it has dropped from 12 percent a year ago, a sign of progress.
Nevada has the nation’s highest unemployment rate, at 12.3 percent. The state lost 12,800 jobs last month, the most of all states. That was also the biggest percentage job loss of any state.
Rhode Island’s unemployment was the second highest, at 11 percent, up slightly from the previous month. Its rate hasn’t improved much, declining only 0.3 percentage points in the past year.
Update: As if that wasn’t enough, Calculated Risk adds this grim statistic:
Only three states still have double-digit unemployment rates: Nevada, Rhode Island, and California. This is the fewest since January 2009. In early 2010, 18 states and D.C. had double digit unemployment rates.
As you can see from the CR chart at right, Rhode Island has had relatively little decrease from its peak unemployment rate compared with other states. Also, Michigan’s recovery looks pretty extraordinary.
Tags: unemployment
Nesi's Notes covers politics and the economy in and around Rhode Island for WPRI.com. (Twitter: 
Wow… it’s gonna be hard to increase our unemployment another 1.3%.
Maybe if we started taxing non-profits they would lay off more…?
After six straight years of cutting taxes on the rich, in the hopes that it would trickle down and create jobs, maybe we can finally reverse this trend this year.
We’ve tried it the Chamber of Commerce’s way….and what you see is what you get.
As one of those unemployed people who have been unemployed since 2008…I know I don’t count in those ui numbers and havnt for 2 years…homelessness is all that is offered and its shameful that once middle class americans have been ignored for the crisis that they are living. The 99ers are aware of the crisis we are living it. When all your savings is gone where does one turn. Section 8 hasn’t been open in this state since 2003. Sure wish the govt leaders would get their act together. Any 99ers out there we have formed a group to have a voice for the voiceless….join us
Rhonda, I’ll pray you will get the help you need. I know so many in your shoes–some right in my own family.
It’s upsetting when these unemployment reports come out and they don’t count that have exhausted unemployment benefits. What do they think? These poeple just disappear? It’s horrible.
The numbers about unemployment are false.
There are thousands right here in rhode island going through this….shame on the govt and also our local media for not telling truth…. http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/us/2010/11/30/snow.99ers.rhonda.cnn
Crowley’s the type that would see a dog getting kicked 100 times a day and petted once a day and when the dog turned up mean would say “See, I told you the dog wouldn’t appreciate the petting. Kick it more.”
Oh and one more thing…yes we tried it chamber of commerence way but we have also tried it the union way….how about we try it the american way and start addressing the issues for everyone…guess union leaders forget when 99ers came to the leaders of unions in 2010 and 99ers was told its not our problem….did you really think people who lost everything would sit back and say oh please I know you just lost your job but please cut me in line and save yourself…hopefully I won’t starve to death in the meantime…shame on the media for allowing unions to be the only one with voices in this corrupt state…labor????? There is a. whole private sector that is under represented…and we have had enough of the greed…we want justice for all and no we not letting everyone cut the line because they can afford a lobbiest and an organization…
Thanks Chafee, and especially YOU Obama! You’ve really spread CHANGE around!!!! Yes, you can–and you DID! Great Job! Your stimulus packages just stimulated Union govt. workers. You’re Obamacare is a communistic, goes against poeple’s freedoms and is unconstitutional! You keep “claiming” that 250k jobs were created–Well, how many were lost and how many poeple have you abandoned by not extending unemployment benefits? You kee boasting about all the jobs your saved in MI, well, that’s only ONE state out of FIFTY! You have no class and no repsect for your fellow colleagues. You’ve snubbed Arizona Gov. Brewer, you try to pass laws during congressional recesses. You use a kid’s death for publicity and sell HOODIES on your website. You have crosses removed from veteran’s memorials. You order the US education system to NOT include info. on abstience in the sex education curriclum. You decline a pipeline because you want things to be “green”. You’ve brought NASA to its knees and now you want to cut our military funds while still bloodshed in Afghanistan. Your are EVIL and NOT AMERICAN! And you could give two s h * t s about RI–except when your VP came to raise $$$$ for you with thousand dollar dinner tickets!
I HOPE RI will get their heads out of their A * * es and NOT vote Obama back in during the November elections.
Chafee? he should just resign!
Oh, and how could I forget near $4.00 gas!