I recently looked at the changes in jobs in metro areas for 2012. Here’s a follow-on look at unemployment. First a look at the national unemployment rate picture, which has improved remarkably.
2012 Unemployment Rate by County
To put this in perspective, here’s the corresponding map for 2009:
2009 Unemployment Rate by County
It’s interesting to see where there has been improvement versus where there hasn’t, though I stop thresholding at 10% so that if people we well above it but dropped to just merely above it, my maps wouldn’t show that improvement.
Here’s a look at the large metro areas, ranked by total decline in unemployment rate.
| Rank by Total Improvement | Metro Area | 2011 | 2012 | Total Change |
| 1 | Las Vegas-Paradise, NV | 13.5 | 11.2 | -2.3 |
| 2 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 10.2 | 8.4 | -1.8 |
| 3 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 10.6 | 8.8 | -1.8 |
| 4 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | 10.2 | 8.5 | -1.7 |
| 5 | Jacksonville, FL | 9.9 | 8.3 | -1.6 |
| 6 | Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville, CA | 11.9 | 10.4 | -1.5 |
| 7 | Birmingham-Hoover, AL | 7.9 | 6.4 | -1.5 |
| 8 | Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN | 8.6 | 7.1 | -1.5 |
| 9 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 13.6 | 12.1 | -1.5 |
| 10 | Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN | 8.1 | 6.6 | -1.5 |
| 11 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 9.7 | 8.3 | -1.4 |
| 12 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 10.0 | 8.6 | -1.4 |
| 13 | Columbus, OH | 7.5 | 6.1 | -1.4 |
| 14 | Kansas City, MO-KS | 8.0 | 6.6 | -1.4 |
| 15 | Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX | 8.1 | 6.8 | -1.3 |
| 16 | Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC | 10.8 | 9.5 | -1.3 |
| 17 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 8.7 | 7.4 | -1.3 |
| 18 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 9.4 | 8.1 | -1.3 |
| 19 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA | 11.4 | 10.1 | -1.3 |
| 20 | Salt Lake City, UT | 6.7 | 5.5 | -1.2 |
| 21 | Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ | 8.5 | 7.3 | -1.2 |
| 22 | St. Louis, MO-IL | 8.8 | 7.6 | -1.2 |
| 23 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 7.8 | 6.7 | -1.1 |
| 24 | San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA | 10.0 | 8.9 | -1.1 |
| 25 | Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI | 11.6 | 10.5 | -1.1 |
| 26 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 9.3 | 8.2 | -1.1 |
| 27 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA | 9.8 | 8.8 | -1.0 |
| 28 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 6.8 | 5.8 | -1.0 |
| 29 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 7.5 | 6.5 | -1.0 |
| 30 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 10.0 | 9.0 | -1.0 |
| 31 | Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | 9.8 | 8.9 | -0.9 |
| 32 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 6.3 | 5.5 | -0.8 |
| 33 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | 8.5 | 7.7 | -0.8 |
| 34 | Providence-Fall River-Warwick, RI-MA – Metro | 11.1 | 10.3 | -0.8 |
| 35 | Richmond, VA | 7.1 | 6.4 | -0.7 |
| 36 | New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA | 7.2 | 6.5 | -0.7 |
| 37 | Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH | 7.8 | 7.1 | -0.7 |
| 38 | Oklahoma City, OK | 5.5 | 4.8 | -0.7 |
| 39 | Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO | 8.6 | 7.9 | -0.7 |
| 40 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT – Metro | 9.0 | 8.4 | -0.6 |
| 41 | Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI | 8.0 | 7.4 | -0.6 |
| 42 | Indianapolis-Carmel, IN | 8.4 | 7.8 | -0.6 |
| 43 | Baltimore-Towson, MD | 7.7 | 7.2 | -0.5 |
| 44 | Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC | 7.1 | 6.6 | -0.5 |
| 45 | Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH – Metro | 6.6 | 6.1 | -0.5 |
| 46 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 6.0 | 5.6 | -0.4 |
| 47 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 8.6 | 8.6 | 0.0 |
| 48 | Pittsburgh, PA | 7.2 | 7.2 | 0.0 |
| 49 | New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA | 8.6 | 8.8 | 0.2 |
| 50 | Rochester, NY | 7.8 | 8.1 | 0.3 |
| 51 | Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY | 8.1 | 8.5 | 0.4 |
Email this Blog entry
I recently found many useful
I recently found many useful information in your website especially this blog page. Among the lots of comments on your articles. Thanks for sharing.
homepage besuchen
Great things you’ve always
Great things you’ve always shared with us. Just keep writing this kind of posts.The time which was wasted in traveling for tuition now it can be used for studies.Thanks
Edward Bass Producer
It was wondering if I could
It was wondering if I could use this write-up on my other website, I will link it back to your website though.Great Thanks.
download girlfriend activation system pdf
I high appreciate this post.
I high appreciate this post. It’s hard to find the good from the bad sometimes, but I think you’ve nailed it! would you mind updating your blog with more information?
greenconcept.be
I found your this post while
I found your this post while searching for some related information on blog search...Its a good post..keep posting and update the information.
safety jogger
Its a great pleasure reading
Its a great pleasure reading your post.Its full of information I am looking for and I love to post a comment that "The content of your post is awesome" Great work.
quantum vision testimonials
It is imperative that we
It is imperative that we read blog post very carefully. I am already done it and find that this post is really amazing.
7 simple tricks to attract any woman you want
Some truly wonderful
Some truly wonderful work on behalf of the owner of this internet site , perfectly great articles .
michael fiore text your ex back 2 download review
Robot
This was a really great contest and hopefully I can attend the next one. It was alot of fun and I really enjoyed myself..
ways to get a beautiful girlfriend
Robot
Very useful post. This is my first time i visit here. I found so many interesting stuff in your blog especially its discussion. Really its great article. Keep it up.
girlfriend activation system worth it