The majority of States showing employment trends above the
national average were located west of the Mississippi River.
··The majority of States that were below the
national average in 2008 were located in
the Southeast and West.
FIGURE
6 Percent change in annual employment by State
2007–2008
Percent
0.4 or higher
-0.4 (national average) to 0.3
-1.4 to -0.5
Alaska
Puerto Rico
U.S. Virgin Islands
Hawaii
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Employment and Wages Annual Averages, 2008 • 11
-1.5 or lower
www.bls.gov/cew