These Two States Led U.S. Job Creation in 2014

In 2014, nearly every state in the U.S. saw jobs created and unemployment fall — at least by the official, admittedly debated government numbers.

One state stood head and shoulders above the rest: North Dakota.

Oil fields in North Dakota. (Image via Geof Wilson/flickr)

Buoyed by the American oil boom, North Dakota created 22,000 jobs between December 2013 and November 2014, boosting the small state's employment level 4.8 percent — the biggest percentage improvement of any state, according to analysis from the Pew Charitable Trust's Stateline blog.

Another oil-rich red state, Texas, led the nation in raw job creation, adding 417,000 jobs and boosting the statewide employment level by 3.68 percent.

Other big states, including California and Florida, also added hundreds of thousands of jobs, with smaller job gains spread throughout the country.

The only two states to lose jobs in the past year, according to Stateline's analysis: Mississippi and Alaska.

Explore the interactive map below to see jobs changes nationwide:

It's worth noting that both North Dakota and Texas could face a less-rosy 2015 as low global oil prices take their toll on shale play profitability.

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