The December jobless rate fell in 22 states and rose in 16 and the increase in U.S. payrolls was led by New York and New Jersey as the cities rebounded following Hurricane Sandy, according to report from the Labor Department released on Friday.
New Jersey recorded its single sharpest employment spike in more than 20 years with the creation of 30,200 jobs last month. Meanwhile, New York led the 27 states that showed a boost in jobs by creating 35,100 jobs in December.
"With December marking the single greatest job gain since 1990, we're seeing the state begin to recover from the blow delivered by Sandy," Charles Steindel, chief economist for the New Jersey Department of Treasury, said in a statement.
"While we still have work to do, the sustained job growth we saw over 2012 and December's strong showing certainly makes it clear that New Jersey is moving into 2013 on a very positive note."
Private sector employers in New Jersey have added 103,200 jobs since February 2010, the low point of private sector employment during the recession, according to the preliminary federal data, which also shows that 2012 was the state's third-consecutive year of private sector job growth.
California showed the biggest loss in hiring, as employment dropped by 17,500. Florida followed, with a 15,300 decrease, and Louisiana, with an 11,400 drop.
Unemployment fell the most in Nevada, decreasing 0.6 percentage point in December to 10.2 percent. That now leaves it tied with Rhode Island as the states with the highest jobless rates in the nation. Alabama and Connecticut were among the states that also showed significant declines in joblessness.
© 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
