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2008 Election 2004 Election

Fifteen Million Unemployed Americans

10/29/2009, by Proloy Bhatta

HIGHLIGHTS

15 states have double digit unemployment.
The Dakotas have the lowest unemployment rates.
The recession has particularly hit communities in California, Michigan, and Puerto Rico the hardest.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are over 150 million persons in the labor force, about 15 million of which are unemployed.

There are 15 states with double digit unemployment and only 3 states less than 5-percent.

State	Unemployment Rate
Puerto Rico	16.40
Michigan	14.80
Nevada	13.50
Rhode Island	12.30
California	12.00
District of Columbia	11.70
South Carolina	11.70
Florida	11.20
Oregon	10.80
Alabama	10.60
Kentucky	10.40
North Carolina	10.40
Tennessee	10.30
Georgia	10.20
Illinois	10.20
Ohio	9.70
New Jersey	9.60
Arizona	9.30
Massachusetts	9.30
Missouri	9.30
Indiana	9.20
Mississippi	8.80
New York	8.80
Washington	8.80
Pennsylvania	8.30
Texas	8.30
Connecticut	8.20
Delaware	8.20
Idaho	8.10
West Virginia	8.10
Maine	7.80
Alaska	7.70
Wisconsin	7.70
Hawaii	7.50
Louisiana	7.40
New Mexico	7.40
Maryland	7.10
Minnesota	7.10
New Hampshire	7.00
Kansas	6.90
Arkansas	6.70
Colorado	6.70
Virginia	6.60
Oklahoma	6.50
Vermont	6.40
Iowa	6.30
Wyoming	6.20
Utah	6.00
Montana	5.90
Nebraska	4.60
South Dakota	4.40
North Dakota	3.40

Metropolitan Areas with Largest Unemployment

The recession has particularly hit communities in California, Michigan, and Puerto Rico the hardest.

Metropolitan Area	Sep 2009
Yuma , Arizona	24.20
El Centro , California	30.10
Merced , California	15.70
Modesto , California	15.30
Stockton , California	15.50
Yuba City , California	16.20
Palm Coast , Florida	16.20
Sebastian, Vero Beach , Florida	15.20
Rockford , Illinois	15.20
Detroit, Warren, Livonia , Michigan	17.30
Flint , Michigan	15.80
Muskegon, Norton Shores , Michigan	16.00
Aguadilla, Isabela, San Sebastian , Puerto Rico	18.10
Fajardo , Puerto Rico	18.30
Guayama , Puerto Rico	22.50
Mayaguez , Puerto Rico	17.60
Ponce , Puerto Rico	16.80
San German, Cabo Rojo , Puerto Rico	16.50
San Juan, Caguas, Guaynabo , Puerto Rico	15.30
Yauco , Puerto Rico	18.90

Metropolitan Areas with the Largest Increase in Unemployment

Alabama, California, and Michigan each have had the largest number of metropolitan areas with a large increase in unemployment.

Metropolitan Area	Sep 2008	Sep 2009
Anniston, Oxford , Alabama	5.40	10.80
Birmingham, Hoover , Alabama	4.80	10.20
Decatur , Alabama	5.10	11.10
Florence, Muscle Shoals , Alabama	5.40	10.90
Mobile , Alabama	5.50	11.10
Redding , California	9.60	14.70
Riverside, San Bernardino, Ontario , California	9.10	14.20
San Jose, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara , California	6.40	11.80
Stockton , California	10.10	15.50
Yuba City , California	10.80	16.20
Palm Coast , Florida	10.50	16.20
Sebastian, Vero Beach , Florida	10.00	15.20
Decatur , Illinois	7.30	12.40
Peoria , Illinois	5.60	11.10
Rockford , Illinois	8.90	15.20
Elkhart, Goshen , Indiana	9.70	15.00
Michigan City, La Porte , Indiana	5.60	10.70
Detroit, Warren, Livonia , Michigan	8.90	17.30
Flint , Michigan	10.50	15.80
Holland, Grand Haven , Michigan	7.20	12.80
Jackson , Michigan	9.10	14.90
Muskegon, Norton Shores , Michigan	9.20	16.00
Niles, Benton Harbor , Michigan	8.40	13.50
Carson City , Nevada	7.60	12.80
Las Vegas, Paradise , Nevada	7.70	13.90
Reno, Sparks , Nevada	7.30	13.10
Atlantic City, Hammonton , New Jersey	6.90	12.20
Hickory, Lenoir, Morganton , North Carolina	7.90	14.10
Weirton, Steubenville , Ohio	5.80	12.20
Youngstown, Warren, Boardman , Ohio	7.20	12.40
Bend , Oregon	7.60	13.50
Portland, Vancouver, Beaverton , Oregon	5.70	10.90
Anderson , South Carolina	7.20	12.50
Morristown , Tennessee	7.10	12.40
Odessa , Texas	3.50	9.20
Aguadilla, Isabela, San Sebastian , Puerto Rico	12.80	18.10
Guayama , Puerto Rico	15.40	22.50

Specific plant closings around the country can easily impact the very communities dependent on those jobs -- specifically the small ones. In Odessa, Texas the unemployment rate soared from 3.5% to 9.2% in large part due to the Flint Hills Resources company closing its Odessa plant.

When so many families lose their jobs, they spend less money which force the closure of other businesses. This snowball effect has been happening in the United States since the end of 2007.

National Unemployment Rate

Year	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
2007	4.6	4.5	4.4	4.5	4.5	4.6	4.7	4.7	4.7	4.8	4.7	4.9
2008	4.9	4.8	5.1	5.0	5.5	5.6	5.8	6.2	6.2	6.6	6.8	7.2
2009	7.6	8.1	8.5	8.9	9.4	9.5	9.4	9.7	9.8

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