We ranked each state on how eight economic measures have grown or shrunk in recent years: the unemployment rate, the number of non-farm payroll jobs, gross domestic product, average wages, the working age (18-64) population, value of international exports, house prices, and auto sales.
Check out how we made the ranking here.
50. Alaska
The petroleum sector is a major part of the Alaskan economy, but many of Alaska's oil deposits have been depleted over the years. This depletion has dropped the state's crude oil production to fourth place. Other major employment sectors include the federal government and the fishing and tourism industries. Here's a bit more about Alaska:
- Alaska was one of the few states that actually lost payroll jobs between June 2013 and June 2014.
- Wages decreased by .41% from 2012 to 2013.
- And the GDP decreased by 2.5% in 2013, the worst among the states.
49. Vermont
The major industries in Vermont include tourism — with a focus on skiing and snowboarding — and dairy. Additionally, Vermont is a major leader in the maple syrup production industry. Here's how Vermont fared in our measures:
- Vermont saw a 1.1% decrease in wages between 2012 and 2013.
- The GDP increased by 1.9% during 2013.
- The unemployment rate fell from 4.4% in June 2012 to 3.5% in June 2013.
- Housing prices dropped by 2.7% between Q1 2013 and Q1 2014, by far the largest drop of any state.
48. New Mexico
New Mexico has major petroleum and natural gas deposits in the northwest and southeast corners of the state. Plus, agriculture and mining are other major sectors. Additionally, the healthcare industry employs the "largest percentage of New Mexico's workforce."
- New Mexico saw a 1.2% increase in wages from 2012 to 2013.
- GDP grew by 1.5% during 2013.
- And the auto sales per dealer increased by 1.8% from 2012 to 2013.
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