Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
May 03, 2010

While pundits and politicians observe the first signs of a spring thaw in the troubled economy of the United States, workers in Gulf South states are still waiting for signs that their lives will be better. According to a new report from the Pew Economic Policy Group, in the Gulf South the number of unemployed persons has more than doubled to 2,654,281 in February 2010 from 1,208,649 in February 2008. While Louisiana—still “benefiting” from hurricane recovery spending—and Texas continue to have unemployment levels below the national average of 9.7 percent, Florida (12.2 percent), Mississippi (11.4 percent) and Alabama (11.1 percent) endure rates that exceed the national level. Alabama has seen the greatest growth in unemployment—a 156 percent increase in just two years. Mississippi was not far behind with a 145 percent increase. Already, 3.5 million workers nationally have been out of work for more than a year, the highest number of workers idled for so long since World War II.

Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.

The latest from america

“Inside the Vatican” host Colleen Dulle shares how her visit to Argentina gave her a deeper understanding into Francis’ emphasis on “being amongst the people” and his belief that “you can’t do theology behind a desk.”
Inside the VaticanApril 25, 2024
Vehicles of Russian peacekeepers leaving Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region for Armenia pass an Armenian checkpoint on a road near the village of Kornidzor on Sept. 22, 2023. (OSV news photo/Irakli Gedenidze, Reuters)
Christians who have lived in Nagorno-Karabakh for 2,000 years are being driven out by Azerbaijan. Will world leaders act?
Kevin ClarkeApril 25, 2024
The problem is not that TikTok users feel disappointed about the potential loss of an entertaining social platform; it is that many young people see a ban on TikTok as the end of, or at least a major disruption to, their social life. 
Brigid McCabeApril 25, 2024
The actor Jeremy Strong sitting at a desk reading a book by candlelight in a theatrical production of the play Enemy of the People
Two new Broadway productions cast these two towering figures in sharp relief.
Rob Weinert-KendtApril 25, 2024