Location, location, location

Among the featured stories on my Internet home page today was one that listed the best and worst states in the U.S. for finding jobs. This article appeared on the same day that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its latest mass layoff statistics. According to the BLS, the number of initial claims for unemployment benefits due to mass layoffs has increased for five consecutive months.

The manufacturing sector accounted for 30 percent of all mass layoff events and 35 percent of all related initial claims filed in January; a year earlier, manufacturing made up 32 percent of events and 40 percent of initial claims. In January 2008, the number of manufacturing claimants was highest in transportation equipment manufacturing (17,920), followed by food manufacturing (5,024), and wood product manufacturing
(4,780).

Combine the BLS information with yesterday"s LINE® report that shows the manufacturing employment index down sharply for March, and it's even more evident how important it is to know where the jobs are.

According to the article on Career Builder.com, if you're looking for a job, you want to be in a state that has an unemployment rate lower than the national average, which is about 5 percent, according to the most recent data from the BLS.

Ranked by their unemployment rates, the 15 best states to find work are:

1. South Dakota, with 3 percent unemployment and a mean annual wage of $30,460.


2. Idaho, with 3 percent unemployment and a mean annual wage of $34,810.


3. Wyoming, with 3.1 percent unemployment and a mean annual wage of $34,290.


4. Nebraska, with 3.2 percent unemployment and a mean annual wage of $34,300.


5. Utah, with 3.2 percent unemployment and a mean annual wage of $35,540.


6. Hawaii, with 3.2 percent unemployment and a mean annual wage of $38,630.


7. North Dakota, with 3.3 percent unemployment and a mean annual wage of $32,440.


8. Virginia, with 3.5 percent unemployment and a mean annual wage of $41,450.


9. Montana, with 3.6 unemployment and a mean annual wage of $31,290.


10. New Hampshire, with 3.6 unemployment and a mean annual wage of $39,250.


11. New Mexico, with 3.7 unemployment and a mean annual wage of $33,980.


12. Delaware, with 3.8 percent unemployment and a mean annual wage of $41,680.


13. Maryland, with 3,8 percent unemployment and a mean annual wage of $44,030.


14. Iowa, with 4 percent unemployment and a mean annual wage of $33,250.


15. Vermont, with 4 percent unemployment and a mean annual wage of $36,350.

Based on the unemployment rate, the toughest job markets are in Michigan (7.6 percent), Mississippi (6.8 percent), South Carolina (6.6 percent), Alaska (6.5 percent), California (6.1 percent), District of Columbia (6.1 percent), Ohio (6 percent), Arkansas (5.9 percent), Nevada (5.8 percent), and Kentucky (5.7 percent).

To quote Cheech and Chong, when it comes to job hunting, Things are tough all over. Whether you move to a new location or continue to search in your current area, you might want to consider
7 tips for job hunting in a tougher market, published recently on CNN.com. It can't hurt.