It wasn't long ago that Sun Belt states like Florida and Texas attracted a steady stream of newcomers from up north, pushing their economies ever forward and creating new jobs.

Now, it would seem, the Sunshine State and the Lone Star State have parted ways.

Florida led the nation in lost jobs over the past year, with 78,100, according to figures released Friday by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Texas, on the other hand, had a job-creation bonanza, adding a whopping 245,000.

Florida's rising cost of living has slowed the state's growth. And the recent housing boom has left South Florida with a large inventory of empty homes and condos -- and little call for construction workers to build more.

Florida right now is even worse off than Michigan, that quintessential Rust Belt state, which lost only 48,600.

The state's problem remained the construction industry, which lost 81,600 jobs. That loss was partially offset by an increase in government and healthcare jobs.

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