KEY POINTS:
- In the three years since December 2016, the unemployment rate has fallen in all but three states (Mississippi, Nebraska which was unchanged, and South Dakota).
- The average state has experienced a decline in the unemployment rate of 0.9 percentage points over this period.
- When taken as a share of population, the states with the largest employment gains were Alabama, Alaska, Connecticut, and Hawaii.
ECONOMIST CORNER:
Since December 2016, deregulation and tax reform have contributed to a booming labor market that has lowered the unemployment rate across the U.S. These employment gains have been widespread across states, with nearly everyone across the country benefiting from the strong labor market.