Personal Finance Buzz

Even in the Midwest, where unemployment remains lowest, the news is getting slowly grimmer. Most states lost jobs or remained roughly stable in August compared to July, retaining frustratingly high unemployment rates. Some states did worse than others.

Four states remain a bulwark against a recession that has led to despair in other parts of the United States. These states with steady, traditional economies have kept their jobless rates down and remain the ideal places to find employment . The lowest unemployment rate in the country remains North Dakota, tied with Nebraska for an amazingly low 4.4 percent unemployment rate. This is followed by Wyoming and South Dakota, both with unemployment rates at 5.0 percent.

You see unemployment at 9.5% but do you know what that number means? Is it 9.5% of the total population of the United States, 9.5% of those over the age of 18, or some other scenario that determines the unemployment rate.

After November's encouraging picture of improvement for the jobs market, December proved a disappointing setback. Even though the national unemployment rate remained unchanged, 43 states and the District of Columbia saw over-the-month job loss, with an increase in the unemployment rate.

Is this a sick April fools joke, or is it reality? The United States Gasoline Fund(NYSE:UGA) is making a new 52 week high this morning and the major stock market indexes around the world are all trading higher. At some point the high gasoline prices will certainly take its toll on the U.S. consumer. Please remember that consumer spending in the Unites States accounts for 70.0 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product. The average price of gasoline in the United States is $3.74 a gallon. Last week the average price was $3.60 a gallon in the United States. Gasoline prices in California are well over $4.00 a gallon at the moment. Please remember that the state of California is the eighth largest economy in the world.

There a lot more to the unemployment rate than simply a number hovering around 10%. Did you know there are actually six unemployment rates, each with a different meaning?