New Hampshire is located in the New England region of the northeastern United States, named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Quebec, Canada to the north and northwest. New Hampshire was one of the thirteen colonies that fought against the British rule in the American Revolution, and the first state to declare independence. Established as a state in June 21, 1788, New Hampshire is now home to 1,324,575 (2009 est.)* and is ranked as the safest place to live in the United States as of 2009.** It was home to the Old Man of the Mountain, a granite stone formation in Franconia Notch resembling a face-like profile, until it weakened and finally collapsed in May 2003.
The state economy was largely dependent on textile mills until around 1960, when the industry crashed. Today, New Hampshire has a wider economic base. Agricultural products are apples, eggs, dairy products, nursery products, cattle, hay, maple syrup, sweet corn and potatoes. Key industrial products include computer and electronic products, electric equipment, telephone equipment, computer microchips, fabricated metals, rubber and plastics, and machinery. New Hampshire is rich in granite, earning it the nickname “Granite State” and this has been the leading mined product in the state. Tourism is another significant sector in the economy, bringing in billions of dollars annually. Outdoor activities such as hiking and climbing, biking, kayaking and canoeing, hunting and fishing, skiing and snowboarding are just some of the things to do while enjoying the scenic backdrops of New Hampshire. Additionally, visitors interested in culture and the arts are treated to festivals, museums, and historic sites and state parks. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis the gross state product for New Hampshire was at an estimated value of $59 billion as of 2008.***
The unemployment rate for New Hampshire was reported to be at 5.7% as of August 2010.*****
| Unemployment Agency | Website | Phone Number | State |
| Dept. of Employment Stability | New Hampshire Website | New Hampshire Unemployment Benefits |
Below is a list of the 50 largest employers in New Hampshire:*****
| Employer | City |
| UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF NH | Lee |
| ELLIOT HOSPITAL | Manchester |
| TRUSTEES OF DARTMOUTH COLLEGE | Hanover |
| FIDELITY INVESTMENTS | Merrimack |
| J. JILL GROUP DISTRIBUTION CTR | Tilton |
| CONCORD HOSPITAL | Concord |
| UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE | Durham |
| DARTMOUTH HITCHCOCK MED CTR | Lebanon |
| SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE HEALTH | Nashua |
| ST. JOSEPH HOSPITAL & TRAUMA | Nashua |
| CATHOLIC MEDICAL CTR | Manchester |
| CATHOLIC MEDICAL CTR | Manchester |
| ST. JOSEPH’S HOSPITAL | Nashua |
| FREUDENBERG-NOK | Bristol |
| C & S WHOLESALE GROCERS INC | Keene |
| LIBERTY LIFE ASSURANCE CO | Dover |
| NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY | Loudon |
| CAMP YOUNG JUDAEA | Amherst |
| HYPERTHERM INC | Hanover |
| PLYMOUTH STATE UNIVERSITY | Plymouth |
| FIDELITY FIXED INCOME DIV | Merrimack |
| PORTSMOUTH REGIONAL HOSPITAL | Portsmouth |
| RUGER FIREARMS | Newport |
| SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE UNIV | Manchester |
| SEABROOK STATION | Seabrook |
| KEENE STATE COLLEGE | Keene |
| DARTMOUTH HITCHCOCK CLINIC | Keene |
| GOSS INTERNATIONAL AMERICAS | Durham |
| LAKES REGION GENERAL HOSPITAL | Laconia |
| NEW HAMPSHIRE HOSPITAL | Concord |
| TIMKEN AEROSPACE | Lebanon |
| ANTIQUARIAN BOOKSTORE | Portsmouth |
| GE AVIATION | Hooksett |
| OMNI-MT. WASHINGTON RESORT | Bretton Woods |
| UNITED HEALTHCARE | Hooksett |
| WALMART DISTRIBUTION CTR | Raymond |
| CHILDREN YOUTH & FAMILIES | Concord |
| CROTCHED MOUNTAIN REHAB CTR | Greenfield |
| ELDERLY & ADULT SVC DIV | Concord |
| HITCHINER MANUFACTURING CO INC | Milford |
| LOON MOUNTAIN RESORT | Lincoln |
| STATE PRISON | Concord |
| TIMKEN SUPER PRECISION | Keene |
| VENTURE AUTOMOTIVE | Hampstead |
| LINCOLN FINANCIAL SECURITIES | Concord |
| FRISBIE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL | Rochester |
| OSRAM SYLVANIA INC | Manchester |
| BENCHMARK ELECTRONICS INC | Hudson |
| BAE SYSTEMS/INFO & ELECTRONIC | Nashua |
| BAE SYSTEMS | Nashua |
Sources:
* http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/33000.html
** http://os.cqpress.com/rankings/CrimeStateRankings_2009.pdf
*** http://www.bea.gov/regional/gsp/action.cfm
**** http://data.bls.gov:8080/PDQ/servlet/SurveyOutputServlet;jsessionid=6230a2475ce41761273c
***** http://www.acinet.org/acinet/oview6.asp?soccode=&stfips=33&from=State&id=11&nodeid=12