A new study shows large differences in employment numbers across the United States, years after the country began working its way out of a recession.
In West Virginia, only half of residents age 16 or older who are not in the military, prison or another institution were employed last year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Other states that struggled to employ their populations were Mississippi, Alabama, New Mexico and Kentucky.
Colorado, however, ranks high on the employment scale. Its 64.7 percent employment-to-population ratio ranked 10th among states, not counting the District of Columbia. But it hasn’t changed much from the 64.8 percent ratio in 2015.
As workers age, the odds are higher they might become disabled or retire, so demographics play a part in the equation. The demand for workers and the willingness and ability of workers to start businesses when they can’t find a job also are part of the equation.
Despite the oil and gas bust, North Dakota remains the most gainfully employed state in the country, with an employment to population ratio of 69.2 percent. Back in 2015, its employment-to-population ratio was 70.9 percent.
Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Utah, Wisconsin and Vermont also topped Colorado for employment-to-population ratios in 2016.