America’s best (and worst) states for job hunters REVEALED – and why you may be better off seeking work in Nevada than Mississippi

If you’re having a hard time finding a job, it may have to do with where you live.

U.S. unemployment remains low overall at 3.7 percent, and a blockbuster report earlier this month showed the economy added 353,000 jobs in January, sending economists’ expectations soaring.

But when it comes to finding work, some places have much more competitive job markets than others.

Job seekers are probably the happiest in Nevada, according to the latest figures facts from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In the year to December 2023, employment in the state grew by 3.7 per cent – ​​the highest in the country.

This represents a net gain of 57,700 non-farm jobs for the year.

Nonfarm workers exclude agricultural workers, workers in private households, and nonprofit organizations that actively serve the military.

After Nevada, Idaho and South Dakota both posted job growth of 3 percent, adding 25,000 and 13,800 new jobs, respectively.

Idaho’s largest industry is the science and technology sector, while South Dakota is primarily driven by the agriculture and energy industries.

Employment in Wyoming grew 2.8 percent, while Texas posted a year-over-year gain of 2.7 percent.

The Lone Star State, one of the most populous states in the country, had the largest number of jobs at 369,000.

California added 311,600 jobs, while Florida added 240,600 in the year to December 2023.

Nevada and its most populous city, Las Vegas, have a unique job market, according to experts.

David Schmidt, chief economist at the state’s Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, said the state has a “weird paradox” of rapid employment growth alongside a high unemployment rate.

As of December last year, the state’s unemployment rate was 5.4 percent – ​​reflecting the continued recovery of the lodging, food service and entertainment industries from the pandemic.

But the end of 2023 marked a change, according to Schmidt.

“Nevada ended 2023 continuing to add jobs at a rapid pace while unemployment remained stable,” he said in a statement.

“For the first time, the lodging and foodservice industry is employing more people than before the pandemic, and seasonal retail rents have increased above 2018 to 2022 levels.”

On the other end of the spectrum, Mississippi appears to have been the worst state for job hunters last year, as it was the only one where job numbers fell.

The state recorded a decline of 0.7 percent, representing a net loss of 7,800 jobs.

Rhode Island was also on the weak side, with a gain of just 0.4 percent, while Vermont saw an increase of 0.5 percent, for a change of 1,900 and 1,400, respectively.

Next was Iowa, up 0.6 percent year over year, while jobs in Tennessee rose 0.7 percent.

January’s shocking jobs report comes amid a slew of high-profile layoffs across industries.

Technology companies Microsoft and PayPal have both announced they are letting go of employees this year.

Delivery company UPS, meanwhile, has announced it will cut 12,000 jobs after the company’s revenues fell by $1.87 billion.

In a post-earnings call earlier this year, the package delivery company said the drop in income is due to higher union labor costs and weaker demand.

‘2023 was a unique and difficult year. Through it all, we stayed focused on controlling what we could control, stuck to the strategy and strengthened the foundation for future growth,” said CEO Carol Tomé.

Tesla also stoked fears of layoffs this week after managers were reportedly asked to identify which of their employees’ jobs were critical.

Professional and business services were among the sectors that saw employment growth in January, along with health care and retail, according to the Department of Labor.

But it added that employment fell in areas such as mining and the oil and gas extraction industry.