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February 2012

10 States With the Biggest Rate of Job Growth in 2012

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Expect a lot of regional disparity in job growth and economic vigor this year.

Technology, health care and a resurgence of manufacturing will fuel the top 10 states that will lead the nation in terms of employment growth in 2012, according to IHS Global Insight, a provider of economic and financial analysis, forecasting and market intelligence.

James Diffley, chief regional economist with IHS, notes that though the measure of employment growth doesn't show how far each state fell during the recession, or when jobs will return to their prerecession level, it is a solid indicator of economic health.

Note: This slide show includes news about some companies and industries that plan to hire workers in specific states this year, but the list, of course, is hardly complete. In the time-honored Kiplinger tradition, we invite our readers to comment here on how you see job conditions in your neck of the woods. If you run a business, will you add staff this year? If so, let us know about it in the comments section. Agree or disagree with these rankings? Let us know why.

By Liisa Rajala and Jerry Idaszak

Source: IHS Global Insight