Job gains seen in suffering 'sand states'

That marks a dramatic turnaround. Job growth in all four states was slower than the nation's from early 2010 until last July, as falling home values slammed household wealth and the construction business.

Other sectors are as well growing. In California, booming social media, cloud computing and smartphone firms are hiring. Dan Losito, 31, recently quit his job as a stock compensation specialist at Fidelity Investments in Kentucky to take a similar position at Motorola Mobility in San Diego. There are "a lot more companies in the tech industry that give equity to employees," he says.