Unemployment Decreased in 36 U.S. States in November

Unemployment decreased in 36 U.S. states in November, with Kentucky and Connecticut posting the biggest declines from a month earlier.

Kentucky’s jobless rate dropped to 10.6 percent from 11.3 percent the previous month, the Labor Department said today in Washington. Unemployment in Connecticut dropped to 8.2 percent last month from 8.8 percent. More states reported reductions in payrolls than increases during November.

Unemployment close to a 26-year high is a blow to states, whose budgets have been strained by the recession that started two years ago, as tax revenue slows and more is paid out in jobless benefits. The U.S. unemployment rate is forecast to exceed 10 percent through June, limiting consumer spending as the economy recovers. (more)