Unemployment: The Worst-Hit Cities (MAP)

Unemployment rates climbed in all U.S. metropolitan areas from last May to this May, the government announced on Tuesday.

Of metro areas with a population of more than a million, Detroit wins the sad prize of highest unemployment, with a rate of 14.9 percent. The Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that El Centro, Calif. had the highest overall rate: 26.8 percent. Fifteen areas reported jobless rates of at least 15 percent: Seven in California, three in Michigan, and two in Indiana.

Oklahoma City and San Antonio, Texas, were the largest metro areas with the lowest rates, with 5.7 and 5.8 percent unemployment, respectively. The lowest rate of all cities was in Bismarck, N.D., at 3.5 percent, with Iowa City right behind at 3.7 and Ames, Iowa at 3.8 percent.

Overall, 148 metro areas reported unemployment above the national rate of 9.1 percent, and 215 areas reported lower rates.

The Brookings Institution released a study on June 17 that found that found that the recession is hurting U.S. cities at "radically varying levels." Unemployment was one of the key factors in Brookings' "MetroMonitor" report, which found that Detroit was the weakest-performing city in the country, economically speaking. San Antonio and Oklahoma City came out on top.

Here's a map from the Labor Department. Areas whose unemployment rates are higher than the national average are in dark gray; areas with lower unemployment are in light gray.

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Click here for a PDF of the BLS report.

Comments

[MajorKong]

Where are we going and why are we in this handbasket?

[PresidentRobertBooth]

Not looking good for California, but hey, at least gays can't get married, right?

[Cilantro33309]

I happen to think it would be far more useful to prevent some of the heterosexuals who are obviously a drag on the gene pool from procreating. Now THAT'S pragmatic!

[RandVictims]

"Globalization Was Here"

[RandVictims]

30% of the country unemployed. Another 50% underemployed. Inflation+no healthcare, unaffordable education and collapsing housing prices. Record suicides, depression and whole-scale collapse of the infrastructure.

But, hey, Protectionism would be bad.

Baaaaaaahaaaaaaahhhaaaaaaahhhhh

[JulieSA]

Google "Smoot Hawley".

[AnotherMcIntosh]

Google NAFTA.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

Your numbers may be more reflective of reality than the official ones.

[plebeianswillrevolt]

Thanks Obama. for wasting a $1 Trillion stimulous on bankers and wall street.

[Winston Smith]

That doesn't really have anything to do with unemployment. It could be much much worse.

[jboswel2]

Stimulous has everything to do with unemployment.

[jboswel2]

TARP is the program that gave all the money to the banks.

[Aabby]

simpleton.

[plebeianswillrevolt]

sorry sweetie, .... but you are hot!

[teapartydude]

What a dork comment.

[nowThenzen]

Yes, President elect Obama caused Bush/Paulson to twist 700 bill in TARP out of congress in September '08

[loki]

How about we , the citizens of the United States of America organize and incorporate into the USACitizens corporation. Then , we would have to be to big to fail, and we could be billions in bail out money that we dont have to pay back. Then if it was actually divided up equally to every adult citizen , we might have a chance of surviving this giant transformation of wealth to the wealthy, and hope justice prevails and good jobs are once again available to all of us.
If AIG, GE, GM, all of Wall Street and the Banks can get bailouts, why cant the Citizens who are paying for the bailouts?

[BillOfRights101]

I voted straight democrat in the last 2 elections and as a member I contributed to the campaigns. Why is our 'new' gov't still allowing outsourcing such as the Palo Verde Nuclear Plant's new reactor [costing over 22 Million American dollars] being built in Korea and paid to Koreans rather than helping our nation's workers a 22 million dollar 'incentive' investing in America and the economies of our people was a major promise by the Dems and these types of investments go to Wall Street not working families.
It is outsourcing like this that makes us all mad/angry/and still pissed at Washington
Bill Jacobs
Golden Valley, AZ

[Lynne Parker]

I see South Carolina is heavily dotted. Sanford's mistress wasn't the only one getting screwed.

[texastrixie]

The consumer confidence index came out today and it dropped. More people thought the economy was getting worse, that jobs would continue to be cut, and fewer people seemed interested in buying a car or a refrigerator if they could avoid it.

I was not against the Obama economic plan although I think he let Pelosi hijack the stimulus plan with too much money on changing policies than creating jobs, and I do wish he could rein in the obscene profits on Wall Street.

Finally the Republicans may have pushed us into the economy they always wanted - a poorly paid, huge underclass that will work for almost nothing (or maybe actually nothing - many new college graduates are working internships for free in hopes that a real job will eventually arise). The Rethugs would love to kill off the stimulus too, and make sure that as many people as possible will be out of work so that wages can sink as low as possible.

Now if the Rethugs could just shift all the tax burden to anyone making less than $250k a year, they'd have economic paradise. Until they realized no one was buying anything, or going anywhere, or doing anything except staying home and trying to figure out how to feed their families.

[gfs5541]

I hates Republicans.

[Winston Smith]

I agree with this non-sequitor.

[JakeMontero]

you are a d.ope

[AnotherMcIntosh]

Good.

[JulieSA]

I don't hate Democrats, even though I'm appalled at what they've done to CA and MI, and I'm glad my Republican-run state is doing well because of smart policy. Most of them on both sides mean well.

[dennisrs]

Too bad cause that is what a bigot does, hating people they don't even know.
Did you know that President Lincoln was Republican?

[MamaBird62]

OK, everybody who wants to move to OK City, San Antonio, Bismarck, or Iowa City, please raise your hand! What, you'd rather live in your great city and state and wait out the recession? That's what I thought.
I love my city and state, even though we have high unemployment at the moment. People who are whining need to visit other parts of the world. We're a bunch of softies.

[newiceage]

California,
looking good.

And damn Michigan,
its been 20 years since Michael Moore's "Roger and Me"
can't you get your act together.

[Haus]

They keep electing democrats...

[bluejoni2525]

Yeah right that's the reason ! It has nothing to do with the lose of manufacturing I suppose??

[VeroucaSalt]

Except for when they reccalled a Dem to PLACE a Republican (Ahnold) into office. Can't IMAGINE why California's doing so poorly.

(hint: Republican Governor who refuses to work with the dems)

[RandVictims]

Yeah, they need a hero like Engler who sucked Asia's *ss and embraced NAFTA.

[MajorKong]

Then why is reddest-of-red South Carolina in the same boat?

[dennisrs]

God what an awful pic! You couldn't find a better one?

[slowhand0728]

"STIMULATE! I SAID STIMULATE! NOW!"

[loki]

Im stimulating as fast as I can!!

[eeentropyyy]

The economy! not yourself!