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Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Charting the US Jobs Recovery - DelMarva + DC Edition - May 2014

Most media discussions on the US Jobs Recovery focus on just one number - the headline Unemployment Rate.  To add color to the first number, financial pundits like to add a second number - the Labor Force Participation Rate.  Both are intertwined and affect each other.  But in the aftermath of the Great Recession, there is a third, much more meaningful number that is almost never discussed - the Employment to Population Ratio.

Definitions

Now, what are these numbers?  Many people will give you a technical description that can be hard to grasp and make your eyes glaze over the minute you hear them.  But the reality is simple.

The Unemployment Rate is the percentage of:

PEOPLE WHO WANT  A JOB BUT DON'T HAVE ONE (Unemployed)/
LABOR FORCE

The Labor Force is:

PEOPLE WHO WANT AND HAVE JOBS (Employed) + PEOPLE WHO WANT A JOB BUT DON'T HAVE ONE AND ARE LOOKING FOR ONE (Unemployed)

The Labor Force Participation Rate is percentage of:

[PEOPLE WHO WANT AND HAVE JOBS (Employed) + PEOPLE WHO WANT A JOB BUT DON'T HAVE ONE AND ARE LOOKING FOR ONE (Unemployed)]/
WORKING AGE PEOPLE

Working Age People are generally defined as PEOPLE WHO ARE 16 YEARS AND OLDER.  In reality, they are:

[PEOPLE WHO WANT AND HAVE JOBS (Employed) + PEOPLE WHO WANT A JOB BUT DON'T HAVE ONE AND ARE LOOKING FOR ONE (Unemployed) + PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT IN THE LABOR FORCE (Not in Labor Force)]

The category PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT IN THE LABOR FORCE includes:


PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE MILITARY
PEOPLE WHO ARE INSTITUTIONALIZED
PEOPLE WHO ARE STUDENTS
PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMEMAKERS
PEOPLE WHO ARE RETIRED
PEOPLE WHO ARE MARGINALLY ATTACHED TO LABOR FORCE (INCLUDING DISCOURAGED WORKERS)


The Employment to Population Ratio is the percentage of:

PEOPLE WHO WANT AND HAVE JOBS/
WORKING AGE PEOPLE

In other words, PEOPLE WHO WANT AND HAVE JOBS/
[PEOPLE WHO WANT AND HAVE JOBS + PEOPLE WHO WANT A JOB BUT DON'T HAVE ONE AND ARE LOOKING FOR ONE + PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT IN THE LABOR FORCE


How does this work out?

According to this chart from the popular financial blog, Calculated Risk, the US, in May 2014, gained back all the jobs lost since the Great Recession started in November 2007.





But this is deceptive.  For one, the working age population of the US grew by 15.795 million people or 6.81% from 2007 to May 2014, while the labor force grew by 2.489 million people or only 1.63% during the same period.   The number of employed persons actually shrank by 233,000 people and unemployed people grew by 2.721 million people or 38.44% during the same period. People Not in the Labor Force grew by 13.266 million or 16.85% during the same period.

United States
Employment Situation
In Thousand Persons




















2007 to May 2014

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 May 2014 Variance % Variance
Civilian Non Institutional Population 231,867 233,788 235,801 237,830 239,618 243,284 245,679 247,662 15,795 6.81%
Labor Force 153,124 154,287 154,142 153,889 153,617 154,975 155,389 155,613 2,489 1.63%
Employed 146,047 145,362 139,877 139,064 139,869 142,469 143,929 145,814 -233 -0.16%
Unemployed 7,078 8,924 14,265 14,825 13,747 12,506 11,460 9,799 2,721 38.44%
Not in Labor Force 78,743 79,501 81,659 83,941 86,001 88,310 90,290 92,009 13,266 16.85%


Source: bls.gov


For the United States, the headline Unemployment Rate has dropped down significantly, from a peak of 9.9% in 2009 to just 6.3% as of May 2014.  The Labor Force Participation Rate continues to drop and is now at 62.8% - levels not seen since the late 1970's when women started entering the workforce in droves.  The Employment to Population Ratio has only recovered marginally from its recessionary low of 58.3% to just 58.9% in May 2014.  It is nowhere near its pre-recession average.  In other words, job growth has been growing only barely faster than the growth in the working age population.





Economists have attributed to this phenomenon to increased retirements among the elderly.  But the Bureau of Labor and Statistics itself  is projecting large increases in the Labor Force Participation Rate among people aged 65 and older. The reality is fewer people can afford to retire.





Regional Comparison

So how does the DELMARVA + DC Region stack up to the rest of the United States?

Delaware





The state of Delaware is in a funk, employment-wise.  Its Labor Force Participation Rate, at 60.8% as of May 2014, is even lower than the 62.7% Labor Force Participation Rate the state registered in 1976, the earliest available BLS.Gov data.  Although its Unemployment Rate has dropped from a peak of 8.0% in 2010, to just 5.9% as of May 2014, its Employment to Population Ratio, at 57.2% as of May 2014, is still hovering near the bottom at 56.7% in 2013.

Maryland

Like Delaware, Maryland's Labor Force Participation Rate continues to trend lower, hitting 66.7% as of May 2014 - levels not seen since the late 1970s.  Its Employment to Population Ratio has yet to bottom out. At 62.9% as of May 2014, it is reaching levels not seen since the early 1980s.  Its Unemployment Rate, however, has dropped sharply, from a peak of 7.9% as of 2010 to just 5.6% as of May 2014.  As the previous data indicates, much of the drop has come from people dropping out of the labor force altogether.





Virginia

Virginia has seen a sharp uptick in its labor force participation rate, from a post-recessionary bottom of 66.4% in 2013, to 67.4% as of May 2014.  Likewise, its Employment to Population Ratio has improved to 63.9% as of May 2014.  Unemployment Rate has dropped from its 2010 peak of 7.1% to just 5.1% as of May 2014.





District of Columbia

The District of Columbia's Labor Force Participation bottomed out at 67.8% in 2011, bounced up to the 69.3% level for 2012 and 2013 and is down again to 68.2% as of May 2014.  Its Employment to Population Ratio bounded up sharply from a low of 60.9% as of 2011 to 63.5% as of 2013 and now stands at 63.0% as of May 2014.  Its Unemployment Rate, which reached a peak of 10.2% as of 2011, now stands at 7.5% as of May 2014.



Monday, June 9, 2014

Philippine Government Budget Deficit as a % of GDP

The credit rating of the Philippine Government was recently upgraded one level up investment grade (from BBB- to BBB) by Standard & Poors last May 8, 2014.  Aside from solid economic growth of 7.2% in 2013, government finances have been on a steady uptrend.  The government deficit, at -1.42% of GDP, is less than half of the -3.49% level when President Aquino assumed power in 2010.





Source: NSCB.GOV.PH, BSP.GOV.PH

Thursday, June 5, 2014

8990 Holdings, Inc.: The Case of the Disappearing Past Due Installment Contract Receivables

In a previous blog post titled "Has the Philippine Real Estate Bubble Already Burst?", we wrote on a little known factoid buried deep within the bowels of the financial statements of 8990 Holdings, Inc. (otherwise known through its stock ticker "HOUSE"), that HOUSE's level of Installment Contract Receivables (ICRs) that are over 90 days past due jumped 500% in the nine months from December 31, 2012 to September 30, 2013.

8990 Holdings Inc.
Installment Contract Receivables, Past Due but Not Impaired
In Php





Audited Unaudited

December 31, 2012 September 30, 2013 % Change
Less than 30 days 76,438,532 102,996,723 34.74%
31 - 60 days 31,128,884 30,426,033 -2.26%
61 -90 days 26,930,290 10,163,708 -62.26%
Over 90 days 39,365,086 236,008,574 499.54%
Total 173,862,792 379,595,038 118.33%

These figures were taken from HOUSE's interim financial statements as of September 30, 2013 which contained audited figures for December 31, 2012 and interim figures for the nine months since then.  The document can be found here and also on the website of the Philippine Stock Exchange.  The Annual Report can be found here and here.

Today, those figures are very much gone or reduced.  The level of past due ICRs were reduced by almost 80% for the very same figures that were audited as of December 31, 2012.  

8990 Holdings Inc.
Installment Contract Receivables, Past Due but Not Impaired
In Php











Interim Report Annual Report


Audited Audited


December 31, 2012 December 31, 2012 Variance % Variance
Less than 30 days 76,438,532 18,426,966 -58,011,566 -75.89%
31 - 60 days 31,128,884 5,049,846 -26,079,038 -83.78%
61 -90 days 26,930,290 5,910,360 -21,019,930 -78.05%
Over 90 days 39,365,086 6,357,158 -33,007,928 -83.85%
Total 173,862,792 35,744,330 -138,118,462 -79.44%

Despite an almost 40% jump in sales, the level of past due ICRs were even lower at year end 2013 than they were at year end 2012.


8990 Holdings Inc.
Installment Contract Receivables, Past Due but Not Impaired
In Php






Interim Report Annual Report

Audited Unaudited Audited Audited

December 31, 2012 September 30, 2013 December 31, 2012 December 31, 2013
Less than 30 days 76,438,532 102,996,723 18,426,966 3,824,739
31 - 60 days 31,128,884 30,426,033 5,049,846 2,403,551
61 -90 days 26,930,290 10,163,708 5,910,360 2,177,276
Over 90 days 39,365,086 236,008,574 6,357,158 15,993,266
Total 173,862,792 379,595,038 35,744,330 24,398,832

HOUSE dependence on ICRs to fuel sales has only increased since December 31, 2012.


8990 Holdings Inc.
Installment Contract Receivables/Sales
In Php














Audited Unaudited Audited Audited

December 31, 2012 September 30, 2013 December 31, 2012 December 31, 2013
Installment Contract Receivables 4,672,109,197 8,165,199,990 4,672,109,197 9,777,920,990
Sales 2,888,596,423 4,367,429,533 3,830,644,048 5,356,098,815
Days Sales 437 505 329 493


So has the risk to its stockholders.


8990 Holdings Inc.
Installment Contract Receivables/Stockholders Equity
In Php






Audited Unaudited Audited Audited

December 31, 2012 September 30, 2013 December 31, 2012 December 31, 2013
Installment Contract Receivables 4,672,109,197 8,165,199,990 4,672,109,197 9,777,920,990
Stockholders Equity 3,948,015,021 6,049,131,256 3,948,015,021 6,595,847,184
Installment Contract Receivables/Stockholders Equity 118.34% 134.98% 118.34% 148.24%

8990 Holdings Inc.
Real Estate/Stockholders Equity
In Php






Audited Unaudited Audited Audited

December 31, 2012 September 30, 2013 December 31, 2012 December 31, 2013
Real Estate Inventories 2,040,532,596 2,081,143,259 2,040,532,596 2,243,559,834
Land held for Future Development 1,010,474,241 3,605,811,050 1,010,474,241 3,784,727,576
Investment Properties 142,365,067 140,860,631 142,365,067 141,928,584
Total Real Estate 3,193,371,904 5,827,814,940 3,193,371,904 6,170,215,994





Stockholders Equity 3,948,015,021 6,049,131,256 3,948,015,021 6,595,847,184
Real Estate/Stockholders Equity 80.89% 96.34% 80.89% 93.55%

8990 Holdings Inc.
ICRs & Real Estate/Stockholders Equity
In Php






Audited Unaudited Audited Audited

December 31, 2012 September 30, 2013 December 31, 2012 December 31, 2013
Installment Contract Receivables 4,672,109,197 8,165,199,990 4,672,109,197 9,777,920,990
Real Estate 3,193,371,904 5,827,814,940 3,193,371,904 6,170,215,994
Total 7,865,481,101 13,993,014,930 7,865,481,101 15,948,136,984





10% Losss 786,548,110 1,399,301,493 786,548,110 1,594,813,698
Stockholder's Equity* 3,948,015,021 6,049,131,256 3,948,015,021 6,595,847,184
Impact of 10% Loss 19.92% 23.13% 19.92% 24.18%

* Excludes Proceeds from Follow-on Offering

Impairment Losses

Based on its Annual Report, the company has now made provisions for impairment losses of Php 2,795,106 as of December 31, 2013, whereas they recognized none in the years before.  This is a step in the right direction.

Meanwhile, what happened to all those past due ICRs?


Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Charting the US Jobs Recovery - DelMarva + DC Edition

Most media discussions on the US Jobs Recovery focus on just one number - the headline Unemployment Rate.  To add color to the first number, financial pundits like to add a second number - the Labor Force Participation Rate.  Both are intertwined and affect each other.  But in the aftermath of the Great Recession, there is a third, much more meaningful number that is almost never discussed - the Employment to Population Ratio.

Definitions

Now, what are these numbers?  Many people will give you a technical description that can be hard to grasp and make your eyes glaze over the minute you hear them.  But the reality is simple.

The Unemployment Rate is the percentage of:

PEOPLE WHO WANT  A JOB BUT DON'T HAVE ONE (Unemployed)/
LABOR FORCE

The Labor Force is:

PEOPLE WHO WANT AND HAVE JOBS (Employed) + PEOPLE WHO WANT A JOB BUT DON'T HAVE ONE AND ARE LOOKING FOR ONE (Unemployed)

The Labor Force Participation Rate is percentage of:

[PEOPLE WHO WANT AND HAVE JOBS (Employed) + PEOPLE WHO WANT A JOB BUT DON'T HAVE ONE AND ARE LOOKING FOR ONE (Unemployed)]/
WORKING AGE PEOPLE

Working Age People are generally defined as PEOPLE WHO ARE 16 YEARS AND OLDER.  In reality, they are:

[PEOPLE WHO WANT AND HAVE JOBS (Employed) + PEOPLE WHO WANT A JOB BUT DON'T HAVE ONE AND ARE LOOKING FOR ONE (Unemployed) + PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT IN THE LABOR FORCE (Not in Labor Force)]

The category PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT IN THE LABOR FORCE includes:


  1. PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE MILITARY
  2. PEOPLE WHO ARE INSTITUTIONALIZED
  3. PEOPLE WHO ARE STUDENTS
  4. PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMEMAKERS
  5. PEOPLE WHO ARE RETIRED
  6. PEOPLE WHO ARE MARGINALLY ATTACHED TO LABOR FORCE (INCLUDING DISCOURAGED WORKERS)


The Employment to Population Ratio is the percentage of:

PEOPLE WHO WANT AND HAVE JOBS/
WORKING AGE PEOPLE

In other words, PEOPLE WHO WANT AND HAVE JOBS/
[PEOPLE WHO WANT AND HAVE JOBS + PEOPLE WHO WANT A JOB BUT DON'T HAVE ONE AND ARE LOOKING FOR ONE + PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT IN THE LABOR FORCE


How does this work out?

According to this chart from the popular financial blog, Calculated Risk, the US, in April 2014, is very close to gaining back all the jobs lost since the Great Recession started in November 2007.  By this Friday's Jobs Report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), we might have gained back all the jobs lost by May 2014.



But this is deceptive.  For one, the working age population of the US grew by 15.572 million people or 6.72% from 2007 to April 2014, while the labor force grew by 1.721 people or only 1.12% during the same period.   The number of employed persons actually shrank by 280,000 people and unemployed people grew by 2.001 million people or 28.27% during the same period. People Not in the Labor Force grew by 13.581 million or 17.59% during the same period.

United States
Employment Situation
In Thousand Persons




















2007 to April 2014

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 April 2014 Variance % Variance
Civilian Non Institutional Population 231,867 233,788 235,801 237,830 239,618 243,284 245,679 247,439 15,572 6.72%
Labor Force 153,124 154,287 154,142 153,889 153,617 154,975 155,389 154,845 1,721 1.12%
Employed 146,047 145,362 139,877 139,064 139,869 142,469 143,929 145,767 -280 -0.19%
Unemployed 7,078 8,924 14,265 14,825 13,747 12,506 11,460 9,079 2,001 28.27%
Not in Labor Force 78,743 79,501 81,659 83,941 86,001 88,310 90,290 92,594 13,851 17.59%


Source: BLS.gov


For the United States, the headline Unemployment Rate has dropped down significantly, from a peak of 9.9% in 2009 to just 6.3%.  The Labor Force Participation Rate continues to drop and is now at 62.8% - levels not seen since the late 1970's when women started entering the workforce in droves.  The Employment to Population Ratio has only recovered marginally from its recessionary low of 58.3% to just 58.9% in April 2014.  It is nowhere near its pre-recession average.  In other words, job growth has been growing only barely faster than the growth in the working age population.




Economists have attributed to this phenomenon to increased retirements among the elderly.  But the Bureau of Labor and Statistics itself  is projecting large increases in the Labor Force Participation Rate among people aged 65 and older. The reality is fewer people can afford to retire.




Regional Comparison

So how does the DELMARVA + DC Region stack up to the rest of the United States?

Delaware


The state of Delaware is in a funk, employment-wise.  Its Labor Force Participation Rate, at 60.6% as of April 2014, is even lower than the 62.7% Labor Force Participation Rate the state registered in 1976, the earliest available BLS.Gov data.  Although its Unemployment Rate has dropped from a peak of 8.0% in 2010, to just 5.8% as of April 2014, its Employment to Population Ratio, at 57.1% as of April 2014, is still hovering near the bottom at 56.7% in 2013.

Maryland

Like Delaware, Maryland's Labor Force Participation Rate continues to trend lower, hitting 66.6% as of April 2014 - levels not seen since the late 1970s.  Its Employment to Population Ratio has yet to bottom out. At 62.9% as of April 2014, it is reaching levels not seen since the early 1980s.  Its Unemployment Rate, however, has dropped sharply, from a peak of 7.9% as of 2010 to just 5.5% as of April 2014.  As the previous data indicates, much of the drop has come from people dropping out of the labor force altogether.



Virginia

Virginia has seen a sharp uptick in its labor force participation rate, from a post-recessionary bottom of 66.4% in 2013, to 67.2% as of April 2014.  Likewise, its Employment to Population Ratio has improved to 63.9% as of April 2014.  Unemployment Rate has dropped from its 2010 peak of 7.1% to just 4.9% as of April 2014.



District of Columbia

The District of Columbia's Labor Force Participation bottomed out at 67.8% in 2011, bounced up to the 69.3% level for 2012 and 2013 and is down again to 68.1% as of April 2014.  Its Employment to Population Ratio bounded up sharply from a low of 60.9% as of 2011 to 63.5% as of 2013 and now stands at 63.0% as of April 2014.  Its Unemployment Rate, which reached a peak of 10.2% as of 2011, now stands at 7.5% as of April 2014.


Thursday, April 10, 2014

Are Philippine Real Estate Loans Out of Whack?

It sure looks that way, judging from this chart:




It looks like Real Estate and Construction Loans as a percentage of Total Loan Portfolio (TLP) rocketed past its historical range of 12.6% to 16.6% of TLP sometime in 2011.  That ratio now stands at 20.4% of TLP as of December 2013.

Now, are we up to the levels of the previous real estate boom (as in mid 1990s to 1997)?  We don't know.  BSP data only goes as far back as 1999 when the previous real estate bubble had already burst.

Related Blog Posts:

Has the Philippine Real Estate Bubble Already Burst?

Is There a Real Estate Bubble in the Philippines?

Friday, March 21, 2014

Charting the US Jobs Recovery State by State as of January 2014

In her first testimony to the House Financial Services Committee as Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Janet Yellen said that:

"...recovery in the labor market is far from complete...Those out of a job for more than six months continue to make up an unusually large fraction of the unemployed and the number of people who are working part-time but would prefer a full-time job remains very high...These observations underscore the importance of considering more than the unemployment rate when evaluating the condition of the U.S. labor market."

Although the US economy is a year or two away from recovering the millions in jobs lost since the economic recession began, the rate of job growth has been anemic and has not kept pace with population growth (See chart from the blog Calculated Risk below).


The sharp drop in the Unemployment Rate, from an average annual peak of 9.9% in 2009 to only 6.6% as of January 2014, was mainly a result of people dropping out of the labor force altogether.  The Labor Force Participation Rate currently stands at 63% as of January 2014, a level not seen since the late 1970s when many women started entering the workforce in droves.


The Civilian Employment to Population Ratio (E/P Ratio), which is a better indicator of true labor market conditions because it includes people who have dropped out of the labor force, has barely budged from its lows of 58.3% as of 2009 and 2010.



But how have these measures played out on a state-by-state basis?  Both Labor Force Participation and Unemployment rates have dropped across the board on a state-by-state basis and with a few exceptions, still continue to drop.  But in terms of the Civilian Employment to Population Ratio (E/P Ratio), some states have bottomed out and are starting to come off their lows.


Uptrend


The states that have bottomed out are as follows:



1. California



The E/P Ratio for the golden state bottomed out at 56% in 2011 and now stands at 57.2% as of January 2014.

2. District of Columbia




DC's E/P Ratio also bottomed out at 60.9% in 2011 and now stands at 63.4% as of December 2013.

3. Florida




Florida's E/P Ratio bottomed out at 54.5% in 2010 and now stands at 55.9% as of December 2013.
Florida's E/P Ratio bottomed out at 54.4% in 2010 and now stands at 56.2% as of January 2014.

4. Hawaii




Hawaii's E/P Ratio bottomed out at 57.7% in 2012 and now stands marginally higher at 58.2% as of January 2014.

5. Idaho





Idaho's E/P Ratio  bottomed out at 59.5% in 2011 and now stands at 60.3% as of January 2014.


6. Indiana




Indiana's E/P Ratio bottomed out at 57.4% in 2010 and now stands at 58.7% as of January 2014.

7. Iowa





Iowa's E/P Ratio flattened out at 66% in 2011 and now stands at 66.5% as of January 2014.

8. Louisiana



Louisiana's E/P Ratio bottomed out at 55.1% in 2011 and now stands at 56.2% as of January 2014.

9. Maine




Maine's E/P Ratio bottomed out at 60.1% in 2010 and now stands at 61.2% as of January 2014.

10. Michigan





Michigan's E/P Ratio bottomed out at 53.6% in 2010 and now stands at 55.3% as of January 2014.

11. Minnesota




Minnesota's E/P Ratio bottomed out at 66.5% in 2009 and has moved 67% as of January 2014.

12. Missouri





Missouri's E/P Ratio bottomed out at 59.4% in 2009 and now stands at 60.4% as of January 2014.

13. Montana




Montana's E/P Ratio bottomed out at 59.4% in 2011 and now stands at 60.5% as of January 2014.



14. Nebraska





Nebraska's E/P Ratio bottomed out at 68.0% in 2010 and now stands at 69.0% as of January 2014.



15. New Mexico





New Mexico's E/P Ratio bottomed out at 54.0% in 2011 and now stands at 54.2% as of January 2014.


16. New York




New York's E/P Ratio bottomed out at 56.6% as of 2011 and now stands at 56.9% as of January 2014.


17. North Carolina




North Carolina's E/P Ratio bottomed out at 56.5% in 2011 and now stands at 57.0% as of January 2014.


18. Ohio





Ohio's E/P Ratio bottomed out at 58.6% in 2010 and now stands at 59.1% as of January 2014.


19. Oklahoma




Oklahoma's E/P Ratio bottomed out at 58.3% in 2011 and now stands at 58.9% as of January 2014.


20. Oregon




Oregon's E/P Ratio bottomed out at 56.7% in 2013 and now stands at 56.9% as of January 2014.


21. Pennsylvania





Pennsylvania's E/P Ratio bottomed out at 58.2% in 2010 and now stands at 58.8% as of January 2014.


22. South Carolina




South Carolina's E/P Ratio bottomed out at 54% in 2010 and now stands at 54.4% as of January 2014.


23. Texas




Texas E/P Ratio bottomed out at 60.7% in 2011 and now stands at 61.2% as of January 2014.


24. Utah



Utah's E/P Ratio bottomed out at 63.3% in 2011 and now stands at 66.4% as of January 2014.

25. Virginia




Virginia's E/P Ratio bottomed out at 62.6% in 2010 and now stands at 62.9% as of January 2014.


 26. Wisconsin





Wisconsin's E/P Ratio bottomed out at 63.5% in 2012 and now stands at 63.8% as of January 2014.


27. Wyoming




Wyoming's E/P Ratio bottomed out at 64.9% in 2012 and now stands at 65.3% as of January 2014.



Sideways

The E/P Ratio of a few states have moved sideways off their lows.  The States that are going sideways are as follows:

1. Alaska




Alaska's E/P Ratio bottomed out at 63.4% in 2013 and has remained flat at 63.4% as of January 2014.

2. Arkansas





Arkansas' E/P Ratio bottomed out at 53.9% in 2013 and has remained there till January 2014.


3. Delaware





Delaware's E/P ratio bottomed out at 56.7% in 2013 and has gone slightly sideways.  It remains marginally higher at 56.8% as of January 2014.


4. Georgia




Georgia's E/P Ratio bottomed out at 57.8% in 2010 but has risen only slightly higher to 57.9% as of January 2014.


5. Illionois





Illinois E/P Ratio bottomed out at 59.4% in 2013 and has risen only slightly higher to 59.6% as of January 2014.

6. Kansas




Kansas E/P Ratio bottomed out at 64.3% in 2013 and has remained there until January 2014.



7. Nevada




Nevada's E/P Ratio bottomed out at 57.2% in 2013 and has risen slightly to 57.3% as of January 2014.

8. New Hampshire




New Hampshire's E/P Ratio bottomed out at 65.6% in 2013 and has risen slightly to 65.7% as of January 2014.


9.  South Dakota




South Dakota's E/P Ratio bottomed out at 67.2% in 2013 and has remained at that level as of January 2014.

10. Vermont





Vermont's E/P Ratio bottomed out at 65.5% in 2013 and has remained at that level as of January 2014.


11. Wisconsin




Wisconsin's E/P Ratio bottomed out at 63.5% in 2012 and has risen slightly to 63.8% as of January 2014.



Downtrend


The E/P Ratio of many states are still on a marked downtrend.  Those states that are still on a downtrend are as follows:

1. Alabama




Alabama's E/P Ratio hit a new low of 52.7% as of January 2014.


2. Arizona





Arizona's E/P Ratio hit a new low of 54.3% as of January 2014.




Colorado's E/P Ratio hit a new low of 63.1% as of January 2014.


4. Connecticut




Connecticut's E/P Ratio hit a new low of 60.0% as of January 2014.


5.  Kentucky




Kentucky's E/P Ratio hit a new low of 55.3% as of January 2014.


6. Maryland




Maryland's E/P Ratio hit a new low of 62.8% as of January 2014.


7. Massachussets




Massachussets' E/P Ratio hit a new low of 60.0% as of January 2014.


8. Mississipi




Mississipi's E/P Ratio hit a new low of 51.7% as of January 2014.


9. New Jersey




New Jersey's E/P Ratio hit a new low of 59.1% as of January 2014.


10. North Dakota




North Dakota's E/P Ratio stands at 69.1% as of January 2014.



11. Rhode Island




Rhode Island's E/P Ratio hit a new low of 58.8% as of January 2014.


12.  Tennessee




Tennessee's E/P Ratio hit a new low of 55.3% as of January 2014.


13. Washington




Washington's E/P Ratio hit a new low of 59.0% as of January 2014.