State Job Growth Rates February 2021

The U.S. continued recouping jobs lost a year ago at the onset of the pandemic, with 30 states posting jobs gains from January to February 2021 on a seasonally adjusted basis based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Six states posted no change in jobs from January to February while 14 states and the District of Columbia reported losses ranging from 0.1 percent to 0.7 percent. One-month job growth (loss) rates for all 50 states and the District of Columbia are shown in the table.

Job gains (losses) for the 12-months ending February 2021 are shown in the next table. Two states, Idaho and Utah, now have more jobs than anytime in history. All other states and D.C. still have yet to recover the jobs dropped at the onset of the pandemic.

The last table includes the data covered above plus the percentage of jobs lost from February 2020 to the trough of the pandemic and also the percentage of lost jobs now recovered. The last column includes the number of jobs (thousands) as of February 2021.

Jobs are everything to the economy. Yet to be seen in these data is the $1,400 individual stimulus impact that should add some jobs. Others businesses, however, such as in the Leisure & Hospitality, may be years away from recovery.

Ted