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Convergence-divergence of U.S. State unemployment rates

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Abstract

The dispersion of U.S. state unemployment rates and those of many industrialized countries has been observed to maintain persistent dispersion. This paper, by using a model of conditional expectation, investigates the question wheter there was a tendency toward convergence or divergence of the U.S. state unemployment rates. The paper identifies the states that persistently performed above or below unemployment expectations on average for the period 1978–1999. Data were provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.(JELR10)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Southern Mississippi, USM Box 5072, 39406-5072, Hattiesburg, MS

    Edward Nissan & George H. Carter

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  1. Edward Nissan
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  2. George H. Carter
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Nissan, E., Carter, G.H. Convergence-divergence of U.S. State unemployment rates. J Econ Finan 25, 172–180 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02744520

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