Mike Konczal and Bryce Covert dig into the data on what's causing the drop in public sector employment – a significant drag on the unemployment numbers:
[W]hat’s critical to understand is that the drop-off in employment in state and local government wasn’t spread evenly across states, and this trend had almost nothing to do with Obama or his policies. Nearly all of the job losses took place at the state and local level, and they were most severe in a handful of GOP-controlled states. In other words, erosion of public sector employment isn’t a problem affecting the entire country equally—it’s a problem in particular states, thanks to very particular legislators.
The Dish 