Foreclosure Activity Decreases 8 Percent in November, RealtyTrac. Available at http://www.realtytrac.com/contentmanagement/pressrelease.aspx?channelid=9&itemid=7856.

Unemployment Rates, Bureau of Labor Statistics, available at http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/laus.pdf and http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/surveymost?bls.

Food Stamp State Level Participation, United States Department of Agriculture, available at http://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/snapmain.htm.

Foreclosure Rate: Represents the number of foreclosures filed for every X housing units during the month of November 2009. A foreclosure is a legal procedure by which mortgaged property is sold, upon default, in order to satisfy a debt. Foreclosures generally are governed by state law, and rules may vary between states.
Foreclosure Rate Rank: 1=largest foreclosure rate
Data in table reflect foreclosure rates as reported by RealtyTrac as of November 2009. Comprehensive foreclosure data may not have been available for all geographic areas in all states at the time of analysis, but data represent the best available measure of foreclosure rates that is comparable across the states. For more information, contact RealtyTrac at http://www.realtytrac.com/ContentManagement/pressrelease.aspx?ChannelID=9&ItemID=5420&accnt=64847.

Change in Monthly Unemployment Rate: Represents the percentage point change in the monthly unemployment rate for December 2008 compared to December 2009. The latest monthly unemployment data are available on statehealthfacts.org at http://www.statehealthfacts.org/comparetable.jsp?ind=23&cat=1. Unemployment Change Rank: 1=largest increase in unemployment rate

Change in Monthly Food Stamp Participation: Represents the percent change in the monthly numbers of people participating in the food stamp program for November 2008 compared to November 2009. Data for November 2009 are preliminary. US total includes territories. The latest monthly food stamp program data are available on statehealthfacts.org at http://www.statehealthfacts.org/comparemaptable.jsp?ind=651&cat=1&sub=7&yr=1&typ=1&sort=1387&o=d

Food Stamp Change Rank: 1=largest increase in participation

Average Rank: Represents the rank of the average rank for each state across all three measures. 1=most distress across measures

1. The latest monthly unemployment data are available on statehealthfacts.org. See Definitions.
2. The latest monthly food stamp program data are available on statehealthfacts.org. See Definitions.

Data are as of November 20, 2009.

This table describes which states are facing shortfalls or budget gaps where revenues will fall short of the amount needed to fund current services for state fiscal year 2009. The additional mid-year gap represents shortfalls that states are facing in addition to the shortfalls faced at the time states adopted their SFY2009 budgets.

"Recession Continues to Batter State Budgets; State Responses Could Slow Recovery," Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, November 20, 2009. Available at: http://www.cbpp.org/9-8-08sfp.htm.

NA: Not applicable.

Data are as of January 28, 2010.

This table describes which states are facing shortfalls or budget gaps where revenues will fall short of the amount needed to fund current services for state fiscal year 2010. The additional mid-year gap represents shortfalls that states are facing in addition to the pre-budget shortfalls faced at the time states adopted their SFY2010 budgets.

"Recession Continues to Batter State Budgets; State Responses Could Slow Recovery," Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, January 28, 2010. Available at: http://www.cbpp.org/9-8-08sfp.htm.

NA: Not Applicable.

Data are as of January 28, 2010.

"Recession Continues to Batter State Budgets; State Responses Could Slow Recovery," Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, January 28, 2010. Available at: http://www.cbpp.org/9-8-08sfp.htm.

NA: Not Applicable.

Unknown: An estimate of the size of the projected gap is not yet available.