Payrolls Rose in Most U.S. States in March, Led by Florida

[Purveyor]

Source: Bloomberg

By Shobhana Chandra Apr 18, 2014 11:17 AM ET

Payrolls climbed in 34 U.S. states in March and unemployment rates fell in 21, showing the job market was making progress across much of the world’s largest economy.

Florida led the nation with a 22,900 increase in payrolls, followed by North Carolina with 19,400 more jobs, figures from the Labor Department showed today in Washington. Ohio registered among the biggest declines in joblessness.

Gains in hiring will probably help lift consumer confidence and spur household spending, which accounts for almost 70 percent of the economy. The Federal Reserve, in its latest Beige Book review of regional conditions, said the labor market was “generally positive.”

“Broadly, we are seeing improvement in the labor market,” said Michael Wolf, an economist at Wells Fargo Securities LLC in Charlotte, North Carolina. “As the economy gains more momentum, employment increases and spending improves.”

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-04-18/payrolls-rose-in-most-u-s-states-in-march-led-by-florida-1-.html

[lark]

1. Unfortunately, the increase isn't being felt much in No. FL.

My daughter and her fiance have returned from teaching English in Brazil and can't find a non-teaching job here. FL. punishes teachers so badly, it really doesn't pay to do that here.

[lark]

2. Just figured out why we aren't feeling the increased jobs

Read the full link and FL unemployment actually increased due to the # of people looking for jobs. Damn, I'm so sick of this Rick Scott few jobs economy.

[fasttense]

3. And yet just this Tuesday the BLS reported a decrease in average hourly earnings.

"Real average hourly earnings for all employees fell 0.3 percent from February to March, seasonally
adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This decrease stems from unchanged
average hourly earnings and a 0.2 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban
Consumers (CPI-U)."

So there are more jobs paying less.