Between April and May, Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and California each saw employment grow, with an average increase of 0.30 percent.
Between May and June, the region’s jobs machine’s wasn’t quite as impressive. But all eight stats posted positive performances once again, with an average expansion of 0.24 percent.
Same old, same old — Utah stayed the the superstar. Not only was its growth tops, but the Beehive State remained supremely adept at matching workers and employers. Joblessness there was 2.4 percent, more than a full point below the national mark.
California? It’s still the laggard. Yes, employment there increased, but by a region-last 0.04 percent. And the once-Golden State had the second-worst jobless rate in the nation, at 4.6 percent.
Two final notes. Colorado’s growth rate has declined for three months in row — something to keep an eye on. And to the south, the Permian Basin continues to power New Mexico’s employment surge. Data from the state’s labor bureaucracy show that from May 2022 to May 2023, the mining-and-logging sector boosted hiring by 16.3 percent. (Coming in second was manufacturing of non-durable goods, far behind at 7.6 percent.) Drill, baby, drill!
