The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says all 50 states and the District of Columbia lost jobs in the past year. Seven states lost at least a quarter of a million jobs each during the past year. New York was one of them. Researchers say New York lost 256,100 jobs.. 7th worst in the U.S. Florida lost more than 360,000 jobs.. second worst in the U.S. and California lost the most.. more than 732,000 jobs. The smallest drops in raw numbers occurred in North Dakota, which lost 900 jobs in 12 months, and Alaska, which lost 1,500.

A report in today's Business First says lending activity to small business owners was slow at the outset of the year. Then things kicked up in the second half of the fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, thanks to the federal stimulus. The SBA Buffalo office guaranteed 351 loans, still down from 452 a year ago. M&T was top among local lenders, approving 98 loans totaling $11.7 million. The Obama administration is now asking congress to increase the size of loans to help small businesses grow.