The 2012 State New Economy Index – How is your state doing?

More than three years on from the end of the Great Recession, only six states have regained employment levels enjoyed prior to the recession, and 17 states are still more than 5 percent below their pre-recession employment levels. As many state economies continue to struggle through the lingering effects of the Great Recession, a question commonly asked is, "What is this seemingly invisible force that prevents the economy from returning to prerecession and especially 1990s growth rates?"

Robert D. Atkinson
and Luke A. Stewart

Full Story: http://www.itif.org/publications/2012-state-new-economy-index