AP reports that the FDIC ranked Massachusetts 45th out of the 50 states for job growth in Q2 this year and New England, 8th out of the 9 regions nationally.
This is due to several factors: loss of population in Mass., slow population growth in New England generally, and the local dependence on technology jobs.
Mass. has gained only a quarter of the 207,000 jobs lost since 2001.
The only folks worse off than us are the East North Central region that used to be known as the rust belt: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin.
On the other hand, the geniuses at the Division of Unemployment Statistics claim that the rate of joblessness here is a mere 4.2%. As they say, figures don’t lie, but liars figure.
After all, how else could Mitt run for President in 2008?