Thirty-six states and the District of Columbia recorded unemployment rate decreases in the month of October while five states posted rate increases, and nine states remained the same, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The national unemployment rate stayed about the same at 9.0 percent. Compared to a year ago, 40 states experienced unemployment rate decreases, while eight states plus D.C. saw increases, and two states had no change. The national jobless rate dropped 0.7 percentage points since October 2010. 

"Right-to-work" legislation continues to be a bitter policy dispute in Indiana.

A move toward some type of defined-contribution system is likely to be considered by lawmakers in 2012. 

Government transparency made the news twice in November. First, when California Governor Brown shut down California's transparency website, and again last week when Vice President Biden and the Government Accountability and Transparency Board held a meeting that was closed to the press. That board was created in June 2011 by Section 3 of an Executive Order stating "There is hereby established a Government Accountability and Transparency Board (Board) to provide strategic direction for enhancing the transparency of Federal spending and advance efforts to detect and remediate fraud, waste, and abuse in Federal programs."