Job totals trail pre-recession levels in 10 U.S. states

Christopher S. Rugaber
Associated Press

Washington — Ten U.S. states still have not regained all the jobs they lost in the Great Recession, even after 61/2 years of recovery, while many more have seen only modest gains.

The figures help illustrate the uneven nature of the economic rebound since the Great Recession ended in June 2009. They also suggest why many Americans feel the improvement has passed them by. Economic anxiety, despite some data suggesting the economy has recovered, is fueling much of the support for insurgent presidential candidates such as Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders.


Yet Michigan’s job count has increased just 1.6 percent since the recession began, less than half the nationwide gain.



Other states have notched very small gains that likely trail population growth. Illinois has 8,600 more jobs than it did in December 2007, a gain of just 0.1 percent. Arizona’s job count is up just 9,200, or 0.3 percent. And Ohio has added 58,100 jobs, or 1.1 percent.



The oil and gas drilling boom has lifted North Dakota’s job count by more than 20 percent, even though falling energy prices have caused significant layoffs in the past year.