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For Immediate Release
February 2, 2009

Contact:
Richard S. Brothers, Commissioner
NH Employment Security
(603) 228-4000

Vital Signs 2009 takes the economic, social, and environmental pulse of the Granite State

New Hampshire Employment Security's (NHES) Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau released Vital Signs 2009 - Economic and Social Indicators for New Hampshire: 2004-2007. This annual review of New Hampshire economic and social indicators is a concise presentation of eighteen significant aspects of the state's economic, social, and environmental profile for 2004 through 2007.

Commissioner Richard Brothers says, "Vital Signs offers a complete economic picture of the State of New Hampshire. The state’s economists, as well as leaders in business and industry, education, and government will find this publication very valuable."

Highlights of the publication include:
Population: New Hampshire's millennial generation is aging and is either continuing their education or preparing to join the labor force. Income & Wages: Per capita personal income in New Hampshire was $41,444 in 2007, an increase of 4.3 percent from 2006. Labor Force & Unemployment: New Hampshire had a lower unemployment rate than the country as a whole in 2007, 3.6 percent compared to 4.6 percent. Private Enterprise: New Hampshire has a higher share of GDP from private industry (over 90 percent) than the national average (between 85 to 89 percent). Production: The average weekly wage of high tech workers in New Hampshire is higher than the average wage for all workers. Trade, Recreation & Hospitality: Weakness in Retail trade employment started to show from 2006 to 2007, dropping 600 workers. Construction & Housing: The median price of a primary home in New Hampshire in the first eight months of 2008 was $242,000. Health: Results from the 2007 New Hampshire Benefits Survey showed that almost 84 percent of businesses offered medical insurance to full time workers. Social Assistance: In 2007, New Hampshire had a poverty rate of just over seven- percent compared to the national rate of 13 percent. Environment: New Hampshire is among ten states that is part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), to reduce and cap carbon emissions.

To view the entire publication, please visit our web site at www.nh.gov/nhes/elmi. If you have questions or comments, contact New Hampshire Employment Security's Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau by calling (603) 228-4124 or by email at elmi@nhes.nh.gov.

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New Hampshire Employment Security (NHES)
45 South Fruit Street  |  Concord NH 03301  |  603-224-3311  |  1-800-852-3400
TDD Access: Relay NH 1-800-735-2964