Unemployment Rate Two Times Higher In Suburbs Than Cities

The New Republic:

In the three years since the recession began the number of unemployed in the nation increased by 90 percent, or 6.6 million people. As our latest geographic drill-down shows, much of that growth was driven by more than 3 million additional unemployed people in the suburbs (1.2 million in cities) of the largest metropolitan areas. Levels of unemployment in suburbs remain about twice the level of unemployed in cities. (Note that there is a lag between the top line national number announced today and more geographically specific data).

Read the whole story: The New Republic

Comments

[Robert H Goetz Sr]

10:25 AM on 05/02/2011

Test

[Kenz300]

05:18 PM on 04/13/2011

The cost of energy is rising. With gas prices at $4 - $5 those commutes from the suburbs are getting really expensive. Last time this happened was in 2008 when oil prices hit $147 / barrel. People were parking their pickup trucks and SUV's and were tripping over each other looking for high mileage vehicles at the foreign car dealers. I hope the auto makers learned their lesson in 2008 and started to make more fuel efficient vehicles in the last 2 years.

40 MPG is better than 20 MPG.

Bring on the electric, flex-fuel and hybrid vehicles.

[sensimilla]

01:34 PM on 04/06/2011

Hate to say it, but suburbanites brought this on themselves. They have to drive EVERYWHERE to do anything. They put tremendous pressure on transportation networks because they choose to live far from work in their sterile, sprawling communities.

Suburbia is destroying America. Seriously.

(i was born and raised in a godforsaken suburb..)

[Arts4u]

05:35 PM on 04/06/2011

Not really true. What ruined suburbia were the large mall retailers...now even worse... online sales.

Not everyone can cram into cities. They are already extremely difficult to live in cost-wise. Already in NYC, for example, you have 20-30 somethings living in 2 bedroom apartments with three other complete strangers just to be there. It's non-sustainable.

[mcmutter]

08:38 AM on 04/06/2011

plenty of $8 and $10 jobs out there .....

but who can have a house and raise a family on $400 per week ....

[99er2049er]

11:57 AM on 04/06/2011

I agree. I think the republicans on this board think a person can head up a household, pay rent, buy groceries, etc. on minimum wage. I live in Los Angeles and let me tell you, after you paid rent, you would be out of money (I guess we learn how to kick some of our habits, like eating, electricity, showers, etc.)

[janejoad]

01:03 PM on 04/06/2011

We had to leave LA. We're in Palm Springs now, in a 1957 Columbia trailer. In reponse to your reply as to where the jobs have gone, my husband lost his long time job where he was one of the couple of older guys ( he's 53) and it WAS a diverse work place for many years, until slowly but surely, there were no white or black people working there at all.

If you are over 50, you won't get a job, on the outside chance you do, it will NEVER be in your field again, you will not make more than $10 an hour and your boss will be a Latino, 30 years younger than you are.
If you are under 50 but over 40, again slim to none.

Take a long hard look at our city. I'm not a bigot, my kids are half Mexican, but even Americans of Mexican descent are complaining that they can't get hired either. If you speak without an accent and are not bi-lingual , your chances are even slimmer, actually there is no chance.

I was born and raised in LA in Boyle Heights in the 50' and 60's. My grandparents came there in 1914. I don't recognize it anymore. I don't recognize Alhambra and Rosemead or San Gabriel and, downtown LA, the last time I ate at Phillippe's, couldn't beleive how changed it was.

I feel your pain. Sucks doesn't it?

[Drdog]

03:41 AM on 04/06/2011

Duh...With the real unemployment numbers reported at 16 percent and as high as 24 percent.
one would expect suburbs to be affected. Of coarse the amount of bankruptcies and forclorsures
equals the bank bailouts and the banks still own the homes and the money is still owed by taxpayer via federal deficit HMMMM....

[99er2049er]

11:25 PM on 04/05/2011

Unemployed, bankrupt, foreclosure, i've done it all during this recession. Thanks GOP for making that life experience possible!!!

[janejoad]

01:37 AM on 04/06/2011

Us too.... Hang in there you're definitely NOT alone.

[ThePeacemakers]

06:44 PM on 04/05/2011

It would be interesting to know how many "suburbs" are more like "school districts" than REAL self sustaining towns.

[grouseless54]

09:53 AM on 04/06/2011

That's an excellent allusion - hadn't thought of it that way, but that's the exact circumstances we deal with in my valley. It's a school district with the parents getting in their cars (the ones who still have jobs) and crowding our little highway on their way to a job that's an hour away. The traffic starts around 5:00AM and I wonder what sorts of pressure will mount as gasoline prices go up. We are almost completely reliant on the two cities (Carson and Reno) that are within driving distance. We couldn't sustain fly swatters in this valley.

[Rallis]

04:14 PM on 04/05/2011

chickens come home to roost

[TresJolie7]

06:55 PM on 04/05/2011

Fanned!

[fortressfountain]

03:26 PM on 04/05/2011

Bernake said inflation was under control. Yippes, he also said the foreclosure crisis was contained.

[Robert H Goetz Sr]

03:16 PM on 04/05/2011

If you think things are bad now, just wait till inflation kicks-in. Anybody remember the Jimmy Carter years??? I need not say more.

[fortressfountain]

03:01 PM on 04/05/2011

How easy do you think it is for people to move? What if they own their homes-they cannot even sell if they want to?
What job is so secure you should uproot and move close to it?

[99er2049er]

11:30 PM on 04/05/2011

I will not relocate to another state, give up my family and girlfriend, for what, a job that may fire me a few months later, then what??? I live in Los Angeles, if a job can't be found in one of the largest economies on earth, where would they be???

[amd02148]

01:35 AM on 04/06/2011

Fanned/Faved 99er2049er, good question. There are none.

[Kenz300]

02:53 PM on 04/05/2011

As gas prices rise the commute from the suburbs will get awfully expensive. People will move closer to their jobs to save money on transportation costs. The more you spend on fuel the less money there is for other items in the family budget.

If those that believe PEAK OIL theory are correct and rising demand from China and India will soon outpace the supply increasing the price of oil for us all. The last time oil prices rose in 2008 to $147/barrel people were parking their pick up trucks and SUV's and were tripping over each other looking for high mileage vehicles at the foreign car dealers.

It is time to look seriously at the fuel efficient vehicles of the future.

40 MPG is better than 20 MPG. Bring on the electric, flex-fuel and hybrid vehicles.

[99er2049er]

11:31 PM on 04/05/2011

As I am about to be foreclosed upon, I at least will be able to move closer to where the jobs are, by renting. At least that is one good thing about losing my house during the recession. Just trying to turn a republican generated negative into a positive.

[fortressfountain]

02:43 PM on 04/05/2011

I think it is unfair the government was so worried about their corporate buddies they did little to addess the unemployment and energy problem.
It is like we are all on our own.
Why isn't the same tough love applied to the banks and fannie and freddie?.

[99er2049er]

11:42 PM on 04/05/2011

I have to fan and fav this because I too am unemployed and am ripping my hair wondering why I probably won't get my unemployment benefits extended, yet we can give tax break extensions to the rich and corporations. Oh yeah and 3 wars, humanitarian efforts, etc. with 3rd world countries.

What ever happened to looking out for your own people???

[amd02148]

01:37 AM on 04/06/2011

I'm already your fan 99er so I can only give you a fave.

[texasrodeoqueen]

01:23 PM on 04/05/2011

The End of Suburbia - 52 minute documentary on peak oil

"We're literally stuck up a cul-de-sac in a cement SUV without a fill-up" - James Howard Kunstler Global oil peak and the inevitable decline of ...

by endofsuburbia |http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3uvzcY2Xug

[texasrodeoqueen]

01:20 PM on 04/05/2011

Unbelievable! Outrageous!