California among 38 states that saw drop in economic output last year

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Government data released Thursday showed that economic output dropped 2.2% last year in California, one of 38 states that saw declines in its output as the nation’s real gross domestic product fell 2.1%.

The drop in GDP nationwide was caused by downturns in construction and the manufacture of durable goods, according to a report by the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis. Real GDP by state, which generally tracks the nation’s GDP, increased 0.1% in 2008. [Updated at 11:25 a.m.: An earlier version of this post incorrectly said that 2008’s increase was 0.9%.]

California’s drop in output ranked 32nd nationwide last year and came after the state’s GDP was flat in 2008. Drops in construction and retail trade were the biggest contributors to California’s falloff as the economy struggled with the fallout from the recession, which technically ended in the middle of last year.

Oklahoma had the best economic output in 2009, with 6.6% growth. Nevada had the worst year, with its GDP dropping 6.6% in 2009.

-- Jim Puzzanghera