Top 5 fastest-growing states

2. New York – up 5.1 percent

Richard Drew / AP
Specialist Gregg Maloney (center) works at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange June 7, 2011. The financial sector is growing in New York and was a significant contributor to GDP growth in the state in 2010.

With the finance and insurance industries getting back on their feet, New York's $1 trillion GDP is one of the primary beneficiaries. Nearly two percentage points of the state's growth are a result of the expansion of those two sectors. The financial sector should continue to regain strength. A recent survey by Fidelity Investments pointed toward signs of a job expansion: 75 percent of US broker-dealer and independent registered investment advisory firms are planning to hire up to 30 percent more employees in the next year.

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