The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released state-level data for March on Friday, and the results for our region weren’t good. They were great.
All eight of the American Southwest’s states experienced net job growth between February and March, with Texas and Utah, unsurprisingly, leading the way.
The unemployment numbers remain encouraging, with two exceptions. Utah is still a national star, at 2.4 percent. Colorado (2.8 percent) and Oklahoma (3.0) bested the national mark as well. Arizona and New Mexico tied the U.S. figure of 3.5 percent. Texas (4.0 percent) has room for improvement. California (4.5 percent) again found itself in the bottom ten, with Nevada, depressingly, at rock-bottom 5.5 percent.
A final word about job-creation: Six of our eight states have enjoyed six straight months of growth. It’s doubtful another region of the country can claim that kind of strength. Let’s keep the momentum going.