20 U.S. Cities with the Highest Unemployment Rates
When you’re looking to invest in your first home, it’s all about location, location, location. And one of the important that consumers consider when deciding on a new place to live is the strength of the area’s economy and employment opportunities. Whether you’re moving cross country or to the next town, it’s important to know if you’ll find a job easily once you get there. Every month, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the nation’s unemployment numbers. In 2008, the national average has hovered around 8.5 percent. But do you really know what that means for you? If there is low unemployment in your area, then the jobs are ripe for the picking — it’s a job seeker’s market. But if the unemployment numbers are higher than the national average, chances are it will take you longer to find a good job. Consider this: If the unemployment rate is 11.6 percent in Gulfport-Biloxi, Miss., which is still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. But just 160 miles east along the Gulf of Mexico in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., the unemployment rate is just 2.7 percent. If you want to live where the jobs are plentiful, you should make sure you’ve done your research. Luckily, I’ve done some of that for you. Out of 367 metro areas in the United States, here are the 20 with the lowest — and the 20 with the highest — unemployment rates:
20 U.S. Cities With the Highest Unemployment Rates Average: 9.7 20. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas: 7.8
20. Muskegon-Norton Shores, Mich.: 7.8
16. Battle Creek, Mich.: 7.9
16. Hanford-Corcoran, Calif.: 7.9
16. Modesto, Calif.: 7.9
16. Niles-Benton Harbor, Mich.: 7.9
14. Jackson, Mich.: 8
14. Sumter, S.C.: 8
13. Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Mich.: 8.1
12. Yuba City, Calif.: 8.2
11. Visalia-Porterville, Calif.: 8.4
10. Monroe, Mich.: 8.5
9. Pine Bluff, Ark.: 8.6
8. Saginaw-Saginaw Township North, Mich.: 8.7
7. Kokomo, Ind.: 8.9
6. Merced, Calif.: 9.2
5. Pascagoula, Miss.: 9.4
4. Flint, Mich.: 10
3. Gulfport-Biloxi, Miss.: 11.6
2. El Centro, Calif.: 17.3
1. Yuma, Ariz.:21.4
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20 U.S. Cities with the Lowest Unemployment Rates
