I pulled unemployment data from Department of Labor, did a ton of copying, pasting, formatting it in excel then worked my magic. This took me countless hours and now I have created some very useful breakdowns of unemployment in the US. This is the most current data by the way.
What I found did not surprise me but may surprise some. The hot markets of old – Vegas, California and Florida dominate the areas with highest unemployment. Many of these markets experienced the highest bubble as well and are still predicted by many to have further drops in home values. Not surprising is that the auto industry struggles have left Detroit near the bottom. It appears that some plants have opened back up so hopefully the auto industry is close to the beginning of a rebound.
Now, the smaller, less hyped markets seemed to have less unemployment, far less than the national average of 9.6%. These are the markets I love as many have near the highest returns, low competition, and plenty of great deals available. Washington DC had the lowest unemployment at 6%. Some markets in Texas also have low unemployment as well as do some MidWest cities such as Pittsburgh, Milwaukee and Minneapolis which actually had the highest reduction of almost 20% in the last year. Even my two favorite markets where I focus my investing Cleveland and Columbus have unemployment under the national average.
Check out the reports below. I hope it helps in your evaluation of markets. How is unemployment in your market and the markets you invest in?
Top Markets by Unemployment Percent
| City | State | Unemployment % May10 | Month Change | Year Change |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | District of Columbia | 6 | 2.90% | 0.54% |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | Minnesota | 6.4 | -5.90% | -19.55% |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | Texas | 6.9 | -1.86% | 7.85% |
| Salt Lake City | Utah | 7 | 1.96% | 5.32% |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | Texas | 7.1 | -2.38% | 15.02% |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News | Virginia | 7.3 | 4.10% | 7.96% |
| Baltimore-Towson | Maryland | 7.4 | 3.22% | -0.19% |
| Richmond | Virginia | 7.6 | 3.29% | -0.40% |
| Buffalo-Niagara Falls | New York | 7.6 | -2.20% | -7.69% |
| Denver-Aurora-Broomfield | Colorado | 7.7 | -2.05% | -9.01% |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | Texas | 8.1 | -1.43% | 10.03% |
| Boston-Cambridge-Quincy | Massachusetts | 8.2 | -0.57% | 9.87% |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis | Wisconsin | 8.2 | -3.75% | -8.94% |
| Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown | Texas | 8.3 | -1.03% | 17.33% |
| Kansas City | Missouri | 8.3 | -0.82% | -7.51% |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | Washington | 8.4 | 0.19% | -5.66% |
| Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | 8.5 | 5.33% | 20.07% |
| New York-North New Jersey-Long Island | New York | 8.7 | -0.47% | 2.60% |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale | Arizona | 8.7 | 2.68% | 6.18% |
| Columbus | Ohio | 8.7 | -7.11% | 8.43% |
| Connecticut | Colorado | 8.8 | 3.50% | 8.51% |
| Indianapolis-Carmel | Indiana | 8.9 | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford | Colorado | 8.9 | 4.31% | 9.47% |
| Nashville-Davidson—Franklin | Tennessee | 9 | -2.58% | -3.89% |
| Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor | Ohio | 9.1 | 1.57% | -5.17% |
| St. Louis | Missouri | 9.2 | -3.88% | -4.58% |
| New York City | New York | 9.4 | -1.01% | 3.64% |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | Pennsylvania | 9.4 | 3.44% | 15.06% |
| National Average | 9.5 | |||
| Cincinnati-Middletown | Ohio | 9.7 | -5.36% | 5.29% |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta | Georgia | 9.9 | 1.19% | 5.84% |
| Louisville-Jefferson County | Kentucky | 9.9 | -0.32% | -4.57% |
| San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos | California | 10 | -3.50% | 8.58% |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | California | 10.1 | -3.92% | 6.22% |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | Oregon | 10.2 | -3.09% | -6.65% |
| Memphis | Tennessee | 10.2 | -2.07% | 3.54% |
| Chicago-Joliet-Naperville | Illinois | 10.3 | -3.89% | 0.58% |
| Jacksonville | Florida | 10.8 | -1.84% | 13.35% |
| Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill | North Carolina | 10.9 | -2.68% | -5.32% |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | Florida | 11.1 | -2.35% | 11.67% |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach | Florida | 11.2 | 3.06% | 13.96% |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | California | 11.2 | -4.19% | 2.03% |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana | California | 11.4 | 0.66% | 7.21% |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | Florida | 11.7 | -2.04% | 11.63% |
| Sacramento—Arden-Arcade—Roseville | California | 12 | -3.30% | 12.39% |
| Providence-Fall River-Warwick | Rhode Island | 12.1 | -3.29% | 11.36% |
| Detroit-Warren-Livonia | Michigan | 13.7 | -7.97% | -8.21% |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | California | 13.9 | -2.58% | 9.20% |
| Las Vegas-Paradise | Nevada | 14.1 | -1.36% | 24.19% |
Unemployment by Largest Decrease in Last Year
| City | State | Unemployment % May10 | Month Change | Year Change |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | Minnesota | 6.4 | -5.90% | -19.55% |
| Denver-Aurora-Broomfield | Colorado | 7.7 | -2.05% | -9.01% |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis | Wisconsin | 8.2 | -3.75% | -8.94% |
| Detroit-Warren-Livonia | Michigan | 13.7 | -7.97% | -8.21% |
| Buffalo-Niagara Falls | New York | 7.6 | -2.20% | -7.69% |
| Kansas City | Missouri | 8.3 | -0.82% | -7.51% |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | Oregon | 10.2 | -3.09% | -6.65% |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | Washington | 8.4 | 0.19% | -5.66% |
| Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill | North Carolina | 10.9 | -2.68% | -5.32% |
| Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor | Ohio | 9.1 | 1.57% | -5.17% |
| St. Louis | Missouri | 9.2 | -3.88% | -4.58% |
| Louisville-Jefferson County | Kentucky | 9.9 | -0.32% | -4.57% |
| Nashville-Davidson—Franklin | Tennessee | 9 | -2.58% | -3.89% |
| Richmond | Virginia | 7.6 | 3.29% | -0.40% |
| Baltimore-Towson | Maryland | 7.4 | 3.22% | -0.19% |
| Indianapolis-Carmel | Indiana | 8.9 | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | District of Columbia | 6 | 2.90% | 0.54% |
| Chicago-Joliet-Naperville | Illinois | 10.3 | -3.89% | 0.58% |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | California | 11.2 | -4.19% | 2.03% |
| New York-North New Jersey-Long Island | New York | 8.7 | -0.47% | 2.60% |
| Memphis | Tennessee | 10.2 | -2.07% | 3.54% |
| New York City | New York | 9.4 | -1.01% | 3.64% |
| Cincinnati-Middletown | Ohio | 9.7 | -5.36% | 5.29% |
| Salt Lake City | Utah | 7 | 1.96% | 5.32% |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta | Georgia | 9.9 | 1.19% | 5.84% |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale | Arizona | 8.7 | 2.68% | 6.18% |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | California | 10.1 | -3.92% | 6.22% |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana | California | 11.4 | 0.66% | 7.21% |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | Texas | 6.9 | -1.86% | 7.85% |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News | Virginia | 7.3 | 4.10% | 7.96% |
| Columbus | Ohio | 8.7 | -7.11% | 8.43% |
| Connecticut | Colorado | 8.8 | 3.50% | 8.51% |
| San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos | California | 10 | -3.50% | 8.58% |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | California | 13.9 | -2.58% | 9.20% |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford | Colorado | 8.9 | 4.31% | 9.47% |
| Boston-Cambridge-Quincy | Massachusetts | 8.2 | -0.57% | 9.87% |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | Texas | 8.1 | -1.43% | 10.03% |
| Providence-Fall River-Warwick | Rhode Island | 12.1 | -3.29% | 11.36% |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | Florida | 11.7 | -2.04% | 11.63% |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | Florida | 11.1 | -2.35% | 11.67% |
| Sacramento—Arden-Arcade—Roseville | California | 12 | -3.30% | 12.39% |
| Jacksonville | Florida | 10.8 | -1.84% | 13.35% |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach | Florida | 11.2 | 3.06% | 13.96% |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | Texas | 7.1 | -2.38% | 15.02% |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | Pennsylvania | 9.4 | 3.44% | 15.06% |
| Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown | Texas | 8.3 | -1.03% | 17.33% |
| Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | 8.5 | 5.33% | 20.07% |
| Las Vegas-Paradise | Nevada | 14.1 | -1.36% | 24.19% |
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Article Author: Ryan MoellerRyan has written 45 articles for us.
Visit Ryan's Website: http://www.realreturnrealestate.com
Ryan is the founder of Real Return Real Estate™ , a company focused on buying property at extreme discounts, selling and renting with cash flow.
Joshua Dorkin
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Thats alot of people unemployed ! Wonder what it would be like if everyone actually had a job ! Never loose your job, if you didnt like it , youll just be transfered some where. From what I have read some parts of the country are hit harder than some causing the state to faulter from even functioning correctly. Lets all hope these numbers dwindle up soon! Cause God knows I need a Job !