The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Since the Great Recession officially ended in June 2009, the U.S. economy has generated 7.8 million jobs. But the gains haven’t been spread evenly across the country.

Some states have boomed. Others have struggled to add jobs.

North Dakota, benefiting from an oil and gas drilling boom, has created nearly 98,000 jobs over the past five years, a 27 percent increase — by far the best in the country. New Mexico, hard hit by federal spending cuts, is the only state that has lost jobs since the recession ended.

State performance in job creation defies political categories. The big winners over the past five years include Republican-dominated red states such as Texas and Democratic-dominated blue ones such as California. Likewise, the laggards include red (Alabama, Arkansas) and blue (New Jersey, New Mexico) states.

The Labor Department released job figures for June on Friday, allowing an assessment of how states have done in this economic recovery.

Compared to May, 33 states added jobs and 17 lost them last month. The unemployment rate dropped in 22 states from May to June, rose in 14 and stayed the same in 14.

Mississippi and Rhode Island have the nation’s highest unemployment rates, both at 7.9 percent. North Dakota has the lowest rate, at 2.7 percent.

The Great Recession, harshest since the 1930s, began in December 2007 and ended in June 2009. Most states still don’t have as many jobs as they had when the recession started. All but New Mexico have more than they did when it ended five years ago.

A list showing how the 50 states and Washington D.C. stack up in job creation between June 2009 and June 2014, ranked from fastest to slowest growth in hiring:

Place                       Jobs in June 2009              Jobs in June 2014        Percentage change
North Dakota               367,000                                       465,000                          +26.6 percent
Texas                            10.28 million                              11.55 million                    +12.3 percent
Utah                                1.19 million                                 1.33 million                    +12.3 percent
Colorado                        2.24 million                                2.45 million                     +9.2 percent
Florida                            7.22 million                                7 .80 million                    +8.0 percent
Michigan                        3.84 million                                4.14 million                     +7.9 percent
Washington D.C.          699,000                                      754,000                            +7.9 percent
Indiana                           2.78 million                                2.99 million                     +7.8 percent
California                      14.36 million                              15.47 million                     +7.7 percent
Tennessee                        2.61 million                                2.80 million                    +7.4 percent
South Carolina                1.81 million                                1.933 million                   +7.1 percent
Oregon                              1.61 million                                 1.72 million                     +6.7 percent
Washington                     2.86 million                                3.05 million                    +6.7 percent
Nevada                              1.14 million                                 1.22 million                    +6.7 percent
Massachusetts                 3.20 million                                3.41 million                   +6.6 percent
Minnesota                        2.65 million                                2.82 million                   +6.6 percent
Oklahoma                         1.57 million                                 1.67 million                    +6.4 percent
USA                               130.94 million                            138.78 million                   +6.0 percent
New York                         8.52 million                                 9.03 million                   +6.0 percent
Montana                          429,000                                        455,000                          +5.9 percent
Idaho                                609,000                                       645,000                           +5.9 percent
North Carolina               3.90 million                                 4.12 million                     +5.7 percent
Arizona                             2.43 million                                 2.55 million                    +5.2 percent
Ohio                                  5.04 million                                  5.31 million                    +5.2 percent
Delaware                          416,000                                         438,000                          +5.2 percent
Kentucky                          1.76 million                                   1.85 million                    +5.1 percent
Georgia                             3.90 million                                  4.10 million                    +5.1 percent
Iowa                                   1.48 million                                   1.55 million                    +5.0 percent
Hawaii                               593,000                                         622,000                          +4.9 percent
Wisconsin                         2.74 million                                  2.86 million                    +4.4 percent
Alaska                                320,000                                        334,000                           +4.4 percent
South Dakota                   403,000                                        420,000                           +4.1 percent
Rhode Island                   459,000                                         477,000                           +4.0 percent
Louisiana                          1.90 million                                   1.97 million                     +3.9 percent
Nebraska                          948,000                                          984,000                          +3.8 percent
Maryland                          2.52 million                                    2.62 million                   +3.7 percent
Kansas                               1.34 million                                    1.38 million                    +3.4 percent
West Virginia                   749,000                                          774,000                           +3.3 percent
Pennsylvania                    5.61 million                                    5.79 million                    +3.3 percent
Vermont                            297,000                                           306,000                          +3.2 percent
Virginia                             3.66 million                                    3.77 million                     +3.1 percent
Missouri                           2.69 million                                     2.77 million                     +3.1 percent
Illinois                              5.64 million                                      5.81 million                    +3.0 percent
New Hampshire             628,000                                            645,000                           +2.7 percent
Maine                               596,000                                            611,000                             +2.7 percent
Connecticut                     1.62 million                                     1.67 million                       +2.6 percent
Wyoming                         285,000                                           292,000                           +2.4 percent
Mississippi                      1.10 million                                      1.12 million                      +2.3 percent
Arkansas                          1.16 million                                      1 .19 million                     +2.2 percent
New Jersey                      3.90 million                                     3.95 million                     +1.4 percent
Alabama                           1.88 million                                      1.91 million                      +1.4 percent
New Mexico                     811,000                                             808,000                           -0.4 percent