42 States Lost Jobs in August

from NumbersUSA

Nearly all 50 states experienced increased unemployment in the month of August, up significantly from July. According to data from the Labor Department report, 42 states plus the District of Columbia lost more jobs than they gained last month with Texas, Michigan, Georgia, and Ohio taking the biggest hits.

Recently, some economic indicators have pointed towards the end of the recession, and Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke has been more optimistic, but unemployment levels continue to increase. All the while, the federal government continues to import more than 125,000 foreign workers every month. The unemployment rate for September stands at 9.7 percent, but most experts expect that number to exceed 10 percent before things get better.

Texas was the hardest hit last month, losing 62,200 jobs and seeing its unemployment rate hit 8 percent for the first time in 22 years.

Michigan, who's auto manufacturing industry has taken a heavy hit during the recession, shed another 42,900 jobs in August. The state's unemployment rate rose above 15 percent and is the highest in the nation. Georgia and Ohio also suffered high job losses, but their unemployment numbers dropped because many of the states' unemployed dropped out of the overall work force.

Only eight states saw job increases last month - North Carolina, South Dakota, New Jersey, Montana, and West Virginia - were among the gainers.