In 2015, all 50 states saw more jobs created than jobs lost.
Gallup collected data for its annual Job Creation Index by contacting employed people in each state and asking whether their employer created jobs in 2015 or laid people off. It then subtracts the percentage of employers firing employees from the percentage of those hiring new ones to determine the job creation indices.
The average job creation index was +30, with 42% of employers hiring and 12% firing. Minnesota didn’t even make it into the top 10 in 2014, but gained 10 points and made it to the top of the list with an index of +38—46% hiring and 8% firing. The state created over 400,000 jobs last year and has a fairly low unemployment rate of 3.5%. As of Dec. 2015, the national unemployment rate was 5.0%.
Alaska came in at the bottom of the list with an index of +12. According to the survey 31% of Alaskan employers were creating jobs, 19% were letting people go, and 46% were doing neither. The state’s index fell by five points since the previous year’s report.
North Dakota, which had placed first six years running, ended its streak, but still remains in the top 10 with a +34 index. Nevada had the biggest year-to-year change, gaining 13 points and bringing it up to a +35 index, tying for fourth place along with Delaware, Nebraska, and Oregon.
Oklahoma and Wyoming had the biggest negative changes, losing 7 points each and falling to +22 and +20 respectively.