Alaska’s unemployment rate remains steady

Gooding County registered the lowest unemployment rate in October-2.6 percent-while 20 Idaho counties experienced higher unemployment rates than the state average.

The unemployment rate has tumbled below 4.5 per cent in 21 states, including Texas, Colorado, and Virginia.

The state’s job increases have yielded a 1.7 percent annual growth rate continuing its string of positive annual growth for 66 consecutive months.

The state’s unemployment rate was 4.2 percent in September versus 4.6 percent a year ago. That compares with a rate of 5.8 percent in September.

The energy industry lost 2,000 jobs in October as companies in Texas, the nation’s top oil-producing state, still struggle with low oil prices. Shelby County is lowest at 4 percent.

The City of Nacogdoches saw its jobless rate hold steady at 4.6 percent.

Nevada’s unemployment rate has fallen to a new seven-year low.

While the state’s overall unemployment rate is effective in looking at changes overtime, economics professor Deborah Savage, said it doesn’t give you a “stratified picture” of what the world looks like for different groups of people and various levels of education. “We had our best month for job growth in ten years, and the unemployment rate fell again”.

Gov. Rick Scot was upbeat about Friday’s economic news. If anything, holiday hiring has been a little more pronounced this year with sales activity coming earlier, Englehart said.

Two job categories – the professional and business services sector and the educational and health services sector – have rebounded since the recession ended, said Greg Kaza, executive director of the Arkansas Policy Foundation in Little Rock.

The construction sector added 1,400 jobs, for a total of 91,800.

“Last month’s preliminary estimate of 4,200 jobs added has been revised upward to reflect a gain of 8,000 private sector jobs in September”.