Photo: Muffet via Flickr
At the end of 2012, the U.S. national unemployment rate was 7.8 per cent and the country added 155,000 jobs in December, but these numbers still reflect a troubling economy with a long way to go. “This shows the depth of the recent employment recession — worse than any other post-war recession — and the relatively slow recovery due to the lingering effects of the housing bust and financial crisis,” writes Bill McBride of Calculated Risk.
According to a brand new BLS employment report, unemployment rates were lower in 322 out of 372 metropolitan areas, higher in 36 areas and unchanged in 14 areas compared to the same time last year.
Yuma, Ariz. and El Centro, Calif. recorded the highest unemployment rates at 27.5 and 26.6 per cent — both cities have a large immigrant and migrant farm worker population.
The largest unemployment rate drop (-3.2 per cent) took place in Pascagoula, Miss., and Bismarck, N.D. registered the lowest unemployment rate at 2.6 per cent.
In the new year, President Obama is planning on creating 1.1 million jobs from the American Job Acts, according to the Economic Policy Institute.
The BLS’ data isn’t adjusted for seasonal factors, such as hiring during the holidays.
Mobile
per cent unemployed:
7.5%
No. unemployed:
14,400
Alabama
per cent unemployed:
6.7%
No. unemployed:
145,000
Source: BLS
Fairbanks
per cent unemployed:
5.7%
No. unemployed:
2,700
Alaska
per cent unemployed:
6.6%
No. unemployed:
23,600
NOTE: Most of Alaska's unemployed live outside of cities.
Source: BLS
Yuma
per cent unemployed:
27.5%
No. unemployed:
24,800
Arizona
per cent unemployed:
7.5%
No. unemployed:
227,600
Source: BLS
Pine Bluff
per cent unemployed:
8.3%
No. unemployed:
3,600
Arkansas
per cent unemployed:
6.5%
No. unemployed:
87,400
Source: BLS
El Centro
per cent unemployed:
26.6%
No. unemployed:
20,600
California
per cent unemployed:
9.6%
No. unemployed:
1.77 million
Source: BLS
Pueblo
per cent unemployed:
10.1%
No. unemployed:
7,700
Colorado
per cent unemployed:
7.5%
No. unemployed:
204,300
Source: BLS
Waterbury
per cent unemployed:
10.7%
No. unemployed:
10,900
Connecticut
per cent unemployed:
8.3%
No. unemployed:
154,700
Source: BLS
Dover
per cent unemployed:
6.6%
No. unemployed:
4,900
Delaware
per cent unemployed:
6.2%
No. unemployed:
27,600
Source: BLS
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria*
per cent unemployed:
5.0%
No. unemployed:
162,400
District of Columbia
per cent unemployed:
8.2%
No. unemployed:
30,000
*Note: This metro area includes cities that aren't in the District of Columbia
Source: BLS
Palm Coast
per cent unemployed:
11.4%
No. unemployed:
3,900
Florida
per cent unemployed:
7.9%
No. unemployed:
739,100
Source: BLS
Dalton
per cent unemployed:
11.0%
No. unemployed:
6,400
Georgia
per cent unemployed:
8.3%
No. unemployed:
399,900
Source: BLS
Honolulu
per cent unemployed:
4.8%
No. unemployed:
21,600
Hawaii
per cent unemployed:
5.3%
No. unemployed:
34,400
Source: BLS
Coeur d'Alene
per cent unemployed:
7.7%
No. unemployed:
5,600
Idaho
per cent unemployed:
6.6%
No. unemployed:
50,700
Source: BLS
Rockford
per cent unemployed:
10.5%
No. unemployed:
17,700
Illinois
per cent unemployed:
8.2%
No. unemployed:
545,600
Source: BLS
Terre Haute
per cent unemployed:
9.8%
No. unemployed:
7,800
Indiana
per cent unemployed:
8%
No. unemployed:
251,600
Source: BLS
Cedar Rapids
per cent unemployed:
4.8%
No. unemployed:
6,800
Iowa
per cent unemployed:
4.5%
No. unemployed:
74,500
Source: BLS
Topeka
per cent unemployed:
6.1%
No. unemployed:
7,200
Kansas
per cent unemployed:
5.2%
No. unemployed:
77,400
Source: BLS
Louisville-Jefferson County
per cent unemployed:
7.4%
No. unemployed:
47,300
Kentucky
per cent unemployed:
7.6%
No. unemployed:
157,800
Source: BLS
Monroe
per cent unemployed:
4.9%
No. unemployed:
4,000
Louisiana
per cent unemployed:
4.6%
No. unemployed:
95,600
Source: BLS
Lewiston-Auburn
per cent unemployed:
6.7%
No. unemployed:
3,900
Maine
per cent unemployed:
7.0%
No. unemployed:
49,100
Source: BLS
Salisbury
per cent unemployed:
8.6%
No. unemployed:
5,400
Maryland
per cent unemployed:
6.4%
No. unemployed:
199,600
Source: BLS
New Bedford
per cent unemployed:
9.5%
No. unemployed:
8,200
Massachusetts
per cent unemployed:
6.1%
No. unemployed:
212,200
Source: BLS
Detroit-Warren-Livonia
per cent unemployed:
9.7%
No. unemployed:
192,900
Michigan
per cent unemployed:
7.9%
No. unemployed:
363,600
Source: BLS
Duluth
per cent unemployed:
6.7%
No. unemployed:
9,600
Minnesota
per cent unemployed:
5.6%
No. unemployed:
168,300
Source: BLS
Pascagoula
per cent unemployed:
8.5%
No. unemployed:
6,300
Mississippi
per cent unemployed:
8.5%
No. unemployed:
113,100
Source: BLS
St. Louis
per cent unemployed:
7.8%
No. unemployed:
111,300
Missouri
per cent unemployed:
7.1%
No. unemployed:
213,300
Source: BLS
Missoula
per cent unemployed:
5.5%
No. unemployed:
3,200
Montana
per cent unemployed:
5.7%
No. unemployed:
29,300
Source: BLS
Omaha-Council Bluffs
per cent unemployed:
4.2%
No. unemployed:
19,900
Nebraska
per cent unemployed:
3.8%
No. unemployed:
38,500
Source: BLS
Las Vegas-Paradise
per cent unemployed:
10.4%
No. unemployed:
101,300
Nevada
per cent unemployed:
10.2%
No. unemployed:
138,500
Source: BLS
Manchester
per cent unemployed:
5.4%
No. unemployed:
5,700
New Hampshire
per cent unemployed:
5.4%
No. unemployed:
39,500
Source: BLS
Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton
per cent unemployed:
12.9%
No. unemployed:
9,200
New Jersey
per cent unemployed:
9.3%
No. unemployed:
429,000
Source: BLS
Albuquerque
per cent unemployed:
6.3%
No. unemployed:
25,000
New Mexico
per cent unemployed:
6.0%
No. unemployed:
55,900
Source: BLS
New York City
per cent unemployed:
8.7%
No. unemployed:
342,600
New York
per cent unemployed:
7.9%
No. unemployed:
756,200
Source: BLS
Rocky Mount
per cent unemployed:
11.7%
No. unemployed:
8,700
North Carolina
per cent unemployed:
9.0%
No. unemployed:
424,900
Source: BLS
Grand Forks
per cent unemployed:
3.4%
No. unemployed:
1,800
North Dakota
per cent unemployed:
2.8%
No. unemployed:
10,600
Source: BLS
Steubenville-Weirton
per cent unemployed:
9.6%
No. unemployed:
5,200
Ohio
per cent unemployed:
6.5%
No. unemployed:
373,900
Source: BLS
Lawton
per cent unemployed:
6.4%
No. unemployed:
3,000
Oklahoma
per cent unemployed:
4.8%
No. unemployed:
87,500
Source: BLS
Bend
per cent unemployed:
10.4%
No. unemployed:
8,100
Oregon
per cent unemployed:
8.1%
No. unemployed:
159,700
Source: BLS
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre
per cent unemployed:
8.6%
No. unemployed:
25,100
Pennsylvania
per cent unemployed:
7.3%
No. unemployed:
474,000
Source: BLS
Providence-Fall River-Warwick
per cent unemployed:
9.9%
No. unemployed:
69,100
Rhode Island
per cent unemployed:
10.0%
No. unemployed:
56,400
*Note: This metro area includes cities that aren't in Rhode Island
Source: BLS
Sumter
per cent unemployed:
9.7%
No. unemployed:
4,300
South Carolina
per cent unemployed:
8.3%
No. unemployed:
176,800
Source: BLS
Rapid City
per cent unemployed:
4.4%
No. unemployed:
2,900
South Dakota
per cent unemployed:
4.1%
No. unemployed:
18,500
Source: BLS
Morristown
per cent unemployed:
8.5%
No. unemployed:
5,200
Tennessee
per cent unemployed:
6.9%
No. unemployed:
213,400
Source: BLS
Brownsville-Harlingen
per cent unemployed:
9.7%
No. unemployed:
15,200
Texas
per cent unemployed:
5.8%
No. unemployed:
737,500
Source: BLS
St. George
per cent unemployed:
6.2%
No. unemployed:
3,500
Utah
per cent unemployed:
4.9%
No. unemployed:
67,300
Source: BLS
Burlington-South Burlington
per cent unemployed:
3.7%
No. unemployed:
4,300
Vermont
per cent unemployed:
4.6%
No. unemployed:
16,300
Source: BLS
Danville
per cent unemployed:
7.7%
No. unemployed:
4,000
Virginia
per cent unemployed:
5.3%
No. unemployed:
228,200
Source: BLS
Longview
per cent unemployed:
9.9%
No. unemployed:
4,200
Washington
per cent unemployed:
7.3%
No. unemployed:
253,600
Source: BLS
Wheeling
per cent unemployed:
7.0%
No. unemployed:
4,700
West Virginia
per cent unemployed:
6.7%
No. unemployed:
53,100
Source: BLS
Racine
per cent unemployed:
7.9%
No. unemployed:
7,800
Wisconsin
per cent unemployed:
6.3%
No. unemployed:
191,700
Source: BLS
Cheyenne
per cent unemployed:
5.5%
No. unemployed:
2,500
Wyoming
per cent unemployed:
5.1%
No. unemployed:
15,400
Source: BLS
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