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Trivia Tidbit Of The Day: Part 500 - Best States For Private Job Growth

Factors Related To Private Job Creation-

Let's look at some median numbers of the top 10 and bottom 10 states in terms of private job creation. This is not total jobs; rather, it's the percentage of private jobs added or lost. Looked at in this way, Wyoming is actually the best state for job growth, with Texas in second place.

Again, these numbers are May '07 to May '08.

Notice that it's mostly "red" states doing best, while it's more mixed in terms of the poorly performing states. Some of the states that tend to go Republican have slumped in private job creation in the past year, because those states (Arizona, Florida, Nevada) are being harmed by the bursting housing bubble. It should be noted that these are numbers only look at one year. Looking at the past ten years, those three states have been job creation powerhouses.

Still, when you aggregate the states, the ten top states in job creation compare favorably to the ten bottom states, in union membership and tax burdens.

For the NTU score, higher is better (see more here). This number is not necessarily indicative of state policy, but it does show that states with poorly-performing economies tend to send people to Washington that enact bad policy, while states with good economies tend to send people to Washington that vote for good policy. This is more than a coincidence. Bad state policy spills over onto all of us. Good state policy does the same.

For the Tax Freedom Day score, it's based on the Tax Foundation's data, and higher is better (better, meaning: lower tax burden).

Policies matter. And policy matters.

High taxes and a labor climate dictated by union bosses is a recipe for stagnation. Lower taxes and a free labor market is how to grow an economy and encourage job growth.

To dive into some of this data, click here for an Excel spreadsheet.

Previous Trivia Tidbit: Union States Trail Non-Union States In Job Creation.

Posted by Will Franklin · 25 June 2008 07:57 AM

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