US Unemployment

Unemployment rates fall in fewer than half of US states in May as hiring slows, Associated Press, June 17, 2011, Washington Post: “Unemployment rates fell in fewer than half of U.S. states, a sign that job growth has slowed in many parts of the country. The unemployment rates dropped in 24 states, the Labor Department said Friday. Rates rose in 13 states and Washington, D.C, and were flat in 13. That’s a significant decline from April, when 39 states reported falling unemployment rates. The changing trend in state unemployment rates reflect a weaker economy that has been hampered by high gas prices and lower factory output. Nationally, employers added a net gain of only 54,000 jobs in May, compared to an average of 220,000 per month in the previous three months. The U.S. unemployment rate ticked up to 9.1 percent…”