I’d say Arizona is doing ok, although the state was hit pretty hard by the housing bust. Still, a lot (not all, I know), of those homes were second homes owned by people from out of state who just walked away from them. A lot of the unemployment is in construction, but most professionals and white collar jobs haven’t been hit as hard as other parts of the country. The budget is a mess, but most of that is due to typical state politics of throwing money at everything during good times and then having problems paying the bill when the money isn’t flowing in.
I don’t know “the big picture” in Iowa – just snippets. The unemployment rate is 5.1%, lower than the national average, I believe.
In this week’s news, two big employers, John Deere and Principal Financial, announced more layoffs. (Principal caught some flak about this because they just sponsored a pro golf tournament.)
Iowa’s pork producers are unhappy because some countries have stopped buying our pigs because of “swine” flu. :rolleyes: I don’t know the effect statewide but a local swine producer had its first layoffs ever.
A friend who works for the State says raises are only 2% (4% last year) and many positions aren’t being filled. Some state employees (the courts, I think) are being furloughed a few days a month.
We used to have an Extension Director for each of the 99 counties – that’s being reduced to 20. I don’t know if 79 offices will be closed (I hope not) or if they’ll just be losing their directors.
Mississippi had some phenomenal economic growth from 2003 to 2007. That has ended, and the state’s chief economist predicts that our recovery will be “painfully slow”.
The Legislature is working on next year’s budget, and while it looks like some belt-tightening is in order, we don’t seem to be in any more fiscal trouble than we usually are. Currently the Governor and Legislature are fighting about school funding.
I mean, when you got nuthin’, you got nuthin’ to lose. 
Yeah, I think it’s absurd that they’re willing to cut services to the most vulnerable members of the population by 15% (what I read in Raleigh N&O yesterday) or more, but totally unwilling to apply the sales tax to services.
Way I see it, the stimulus package for better or worse is pulling us out of the recession on the backs of the next generation: the tremendous deficit spending is gonna be paid for by folks who are currently children. North Carolina is deciding to slash education to pull us out of the budget crisis, meaning that NC children will be saddled with crippling debt AND will be less-prepared to take on the challenges they’ll encounter. It’s a double blow. Makes much more sense for the states to deal with the crisis via raised taxes, IMO.
NJ = miserable.
'cause we are sort of like a min-California. If they do it, we do it. They jumped off a bridge, so we have to.
Tennessee–major shopping malls have huge #s…of vacancies.
As for customers…tumbleweeds blowing down the corridors.
Hickory Hollow Mall was creepy.
Maybe they shoulda named it Hickory Solid Mall.
???
I was hinting that maybe no stores were in it 'cause it was “hollow”. Instead of “solid”.
Wasn’t that funny, was it? Oh well.
Nevada - not doing well at all.
Housing market has tanked - I believe we are at or near the top of the list in foreclosures.
Unemployment has gone down a tic in the last month, but still very, very high.
Gaming revenue (our largest tax base for schools) has gone down regularly.
I have a student who works for one of the larger casinos and said that surprisingly, room occupancy isn’t all that horrible - but the average guest who used to, for instance, play $100 a day in slots and tables now plays about $40 a day. This adds up to big loses for the casinos - and translates to huge loses in tax revenue for the schools in Nevada.
BTW, this does translate into some great room deals at hotel/casinos here, so in case anyone needs a quick, relatively cheap vacation - Las Vegas would be a great choice right now!