Table 1
Private-sector Job Growth, 1998
Rank	State	Amt.		Rank	State	Amt.
1	Florida	4.4%		27	Kentucky	2.2%
2	Arizona	4.2%		28	Vermont	2.2%
3	Nevada	4.1%		29	New Jersey	2.0%
4	South Carolina	3.8%		30	NEW YORK	2.0%
5	Georgia	3.6%		31	Illinois	2.0%
6	California	3.5%		32	Missouri	2.0%
7	Texas	3.4%		33	Indiana	1.9%
8	Alaska	3.2%		34	New Mexico	1.8%
9	Iowa	3.2%		35	Maryland	1.7%
10	Maine	3.2%		36	Tennessee	1.6%
11	North Carolina	3.2%		37	Connecticut	1.6%
12	Kansas	3.2%		38	Rhode Island	1.5%
13	Nebraska	3.0%		39	West Virginia	1.5%
14	Colorado	3.0%		40	Michigan	1.5%
15	Oklahoma	3.0%		41	Arkansas	1.4%
16	Delaware	2.8%		42	Massachusetts	1.3%
17	Utah	2.7%		43	Wisconsin	1.2%
18	Minnesota	2.6%		44	Pennsylvania	1.2%
19	Idaho	2.6%		45	Oregon	1.1%
20	Washington	2.6%		46	Ohio	0.9%
21	South Dakota	2.5%		47	Wyoming	0.9%
22	Alabama	2.5%		48	Mississippi	0.6%
23	New Hampshire	2.3%		49	North Dakota	0.2%
24	Louisiana	2.3%		50	Hawaii	-1.3%
25	Montana	2.3%		U.S. average		2.4%
26	Virginia	2.2%		N.Y.S. % of U.S.		86.5%
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, December 1997-December 1998
New York's job growth has improved as a proportion of the nation's growth; see following pages for details.