This story is available exclusively to Business Insider
subscribers. Become an Insider
and start reading now.
Have an account? Log in .
Flickr/Éole
U.S. job creation is near a four-year high and the national unemployment rate is down to 8.1 percent in March from 9.2 percent a year ago.
However, labor market conditions are markedly worse in many corners of the country.
latest BLS employment report to put together the major metropolitan areas with the highest unemployment rate within each state.
Combine this with weak wage growth and inflation at around 2 percent and you get a sense misery in America.
There's a concept in economics called the "misery index, " developed by economist Arthur Okun. The idea is that the combination of unemployment rate and inflation rates makes for an accurate measure of local misery.
Assuming that inflation rates are generally constant across the country, we identified the most miserable cities based on unemployment rate.
States likely include smaller cities with higher unemployment rates that were not captured in this particular data set.
Note: All data is for March 2012 and data is preliminary . The unemployment rate is calculated as a percent of the labor force of the city.
Mobile, Alabama
wikimedia commons
Mobile
Percent unemployed:
No. unemployed:
Alabama
Percent unemployed: 7.3%
No. unemployed:
Source: BLS
Fairbanks, Alaska
James Brooks via Flickr
Fairbanks
Percent unemployed: 7.2%
No. unemployed:
Alaska
Percent unemployed: 7.9%
No. unemployed: 28,800
Source: BLS
Yuma, Arizona
Yuma
Percent unemployed: 23.8%
No. unemployed:
Arizona
Percent unemployed: 8.4%
No. unemployed: 253,900
Source: BLS
Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Pine Bluff, Arkansas, High School band
Dave Einsel/Getty Images
Pine Bluff
Percent unemployed: 9.3%
No. unemployed:
Arkansas
Percent unemployed: 7.4%
No. unemployed: 103,100
Source: BLS
El Centro, California
AP
El Centro
Percent unemployed: 26.2%
No. unemployed:
California
Percent unemployed: 11.5%
No. unemployed: 2.12 million
Source: BLS
Pueblo, Colorado
wikimedia commons
Pueblo
Percent unemployed:
No. unemployed:
Colorado
Percent unemployed: 8.2%
No. unemployed: 223,300
Source: BLS
Waterbury, Connecticut
Wikimedia Commons
Waterbury
Percent unemployed: 10.8%
No. unemployed:
Connecticut
Percent unemployed: 8.1%
No. unemployed: 153,800
Source: BLS
Dover, Delaware
Dover
Percent unemployed: 7.2%
No. unemployed:
Delaware
Percent unemployed: 7.1%
No. unemployed: 31,300
Source: BLS
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, District of Columbia
AP Images
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria*
Percent unemployed: 5.5%
No. unemployed:
District of Columbia
Percent unemployed: 9.9%
No. unemployed: 34,300
*Note: This metro area includes cities that aren't in the District of Columbia
Source: BLS
Palm Coast, Florida
AP
Palm Coast
Percent unemployed: 12.2%
No. unemployed:
Florida
Percent unemployed: 8.6%
No. unemployed: 792,600
Source: BLS
Dalton, Georgia
AP Images
Dalton
Percent unemployed: 11.6%
No. unemployed:
Georgia
Percent unemployed: 8.9%
No. unemployed: 422,900
Source: BLS
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Flickr/Mastery of Maps
Honolulu
Percent unemployed: 5.7%
No. unemployed:
Hawaii
Percent unemployed: 6.4%
No. unemployed: 42,400
Source: BLS
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
AP Images
Coeur d'Alene
Percent unemployed: 10.3%
No. unemployed:
Idaho
Percent unemployed:
No. unemployed: 66,900
Source: BLS
Rockford, Illinois
Wikimedia Commons
Rockford
Percent unemployed: 11.7%
No. unemployed:
Illinois
Percent unemployed: 9.0%
No. unemployed: 589,300
Source: BLS
Michigan City-La Porte, Indiana
Wikimedia Commons
Michigan City-La Porte
Percent unemployed: 10.7%
No. unemployed:
Indiana
Percent unemployed: 8.6%
No. unemployed: 274,700
Source: BLS
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Wikimedia Commons
Cedar Rapids
Percent unemployed: 6.0%
No. unemployed:
Iowa
Percent unemployed: 5.7%
No. unemployed: 95,000
Source: BLS
Wichita, Kansas
aldenjewell viaFlickr
Wichita
Percent unemployed: 7.8%
No. unemployed:
Kansas
Percent unemployed: 6.6%
No. unemployed: 98,900
Source: BLS
Louisville-Jefferson County, Kentucky
katmystiry via flickr
Louisville-Jefferson County
Percent unemployed: 9.0%
No. unemployed:
Kentucky
Percent unemployed: 9.0%
No. unemployed: 184,700
Source: BLS
Monroe, Louisiana
Monroe
Percent unemployed: 7.6%
No. unemployed:
Louisiana
Percent unemployed: 7.0%
No. unemployed: 144,600
Source: BLS
Lewiston-Auburn, Maine
Wikimedia Commons
Lewiston-Auburn
Percent unemployed: 8.2%
No. unemployed:
Maine
Percent unemployed: 8.3%
No. unemployed: 58,100
Source: BLS
Salisbury, Maryland
Eric Fischer
Salisbury
Percent unemployed: 9.3%
No. unemployed:
Maryland
Percent unemployed: 6.7%
No. unemployed: 207,700
Source: BLS
New Bedford, Massachusetts
Wikimedia Commons
New Bedford
Percent unemployed: 10.0%
No. unemployed:
Massachusetts
Percent unemployed: 6.4%
No. unemployed: 220,400
Source: BLS
Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Michigan
Wikimedia Commons/Shawn Wilson
Detroit-Warren-Livonia
Percent unemployed: 9.6%
No. unemployed:
Michigan
Percent unemployed: 9.0%
No. unemployed: 417,500
Source: BLS
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth
Percent unemployed: 7.7%
No. unemployed:
Minnesota
Percent unemployed: 6.5%
No. unemployed: 193,400
Source: BLS
Pascagoula, Mississippi
Pascagoula
Percent unemployed: 9.5%
No. unemployed:
Mississippi
Percent unemployed: 8.7%
No. unemployed: 115,000
Source: BLS
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis' Union Station
Flickr / kla4067
St. Louis
Percent unemployed: 8.4%
No. unemployed:
Missouri
Percent unemployed: 7.9%
No. unemployed: 238,700
Source: BLS
Missoula, Montana
Zillow
Missoula
Percent unemployed: 6.9%
No. unemployed: 4,000
Montana
Percent unemployed: 7.0%
No. unemployed: 35,000
Source: BLS
Omaha-Council Bluffs, Nebraska
Omaha-Council Bluffs
Percent unemployed: 4.7%
No. unemployed:
Nebraska
Percent unemployed: 4.2%
No. unemployed: 41,900
Source: BLS
Carson City, Nevada
Carson City
Percent unemployed: 12.4%
No. unemployed:
Nevada
Percent unemployed: 11.9%
No. unemployed: 162,500
Source: BLS
Rochester-Dover, New Hampshire
Wikimedia Commons
Rochester-Dover
Percent unemployed: 5.6%
No. unemployed: 4,800
New Hampshire
Percent unemployed: 5.6%
No. unemployed: 41,100
Source: BLS
Ocean City, New Jersey
Ocean City
Percent unemployed: 15.8%
No. unemployed:
New Jersey
Percent unemployed: 9.3%
No. unemployed: 424,500
Source: BLS
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Wikimedia Commons
Albuquerque
Percent unemployed: 7.4%
No. unemployed:
New Mexico
Percent unemployed: 7.0%
No. unemployed: 64,800
Source: BLS
New York City, New York
AP Images
New York City
Percent unemployed: 9.8%
No. unemployed:
New York
Percent unemployed: 8.7%
No. unemployed: 829,200
Source: BLS
Rocky Mount, North Carolina
Wikimedia Commons
Rocky Mount
Percent unemployed: 12.8%
No. unemployed:
North Carolina
Percent unemployed: 9.6%
No. unemployed: 445,000
Source: BLS
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Tu via Flickr
Grand Forks
Percent unemployed: 5.0%
No. unemployed:
North Dakota
Percent unemployed: 3.8%
No. unemployed: 14,500
Source: BLS
Steubenville-Weirton, Ohio
AP Images
Steubenville-Weirton
Percent unemployed: 11.2%
No. unemployed:
Ohio
Percent unemployed: 7.8%
No. unemployed: 451,300
Source: BLS
Bend, Oregon
Bend
Percent unemployed: 12.3%
No. unemployed:
Oregon
Percent unemployed: 9.2%
No. unemployed: 183,300
Source: BLS
Scranton—Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
AP Images
Scranton—Wilkes-Barre
Percent unemployed: 9.2%
No. unemployed:
Pennsylvania
Percent unemployed: 7.7%
No. unemployed: 493,400
Source: BLS
Providence-Fall River-Warwick, Rhode Island
AP
Lewiston-Auburn*
Percent unemployed: 11.6%
No. unemployed:
Maine
Percent unemployed: 11.8%
No. unemployed: 65,200
*Note: This metro area includes cities that aren't in Rhode Island
Source: BLS
Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway,
Percent unemployed: 10.3%
No. unemployed:
South Carolina
Percent unemployed: 8.7%
No. unemployed: 186,400
Source: BLS
Rapid City, South Dakota
Rapid City
Percent unemployed: 4.9%
No. unemployed:
South Dakota
Percent unemployed: 4.9%
No. unemployed: 21,700
Source: BLS
Clarksville, Tennessee
Wikimedia Commons
Clarksville
Percent unemployed: 8.6%
No. unemployed:
Tennessee
Percent unemployed: 8.1%
No. unemployed: 248,200
Source: BLS
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas
Tom Pennington/Getty Images
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission
Percent unemployed: 10.7%
No. unemployed:
Texas
Percent unemployed: 7.0%
No. unemployed: 876,400
Source: BLS
St. George, Utah
Wikimedia Commons
St. George
Percent unemployed: 7.9%
No. unemployed:
Utah
Percent unemployed: 6.2%
No. unemployed: 83,000
Source: BLS
Burlington-South Burlington, Vermont
Burlington-South Burlington
Percent unemployed: 4.2%
No. unemployed:
Vermont
Percent unemployed: 5.3%
No. unemployed: 19,000
Source: BLS
Danville, Virginia
Unemployed people in Virginia look for jobs
AP Images
Danville
Percent unemployed: 8.3%
No. unemployed:
Virginia
Percent unemployed: 5.7%
No. unemployed: 247,500
Source: BLS
Longview, Washington
Wikimedia Commons
Longview
Percent unemployed: 12.0%
No. unemployed:
Washington
Percent unemployed: 8.8%
No. unemployed: 308,400
Source: BLS
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wikimedia Commons
Wheeling
Percent unemployed: 8.0%
No. unemployed:
West Virginia
Percent unemployed: 7.4%
No. unemployed: 58,900
Source: BLS
Janesville, Wisconsin
Janesville
Percent unemployed: 9.2%
No. unemployed:
Wisconsin
Percent unemployed: 7.5%
No. unemployed: 229,600
Source: BLS
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Wikimedia Commons
Cheyenne
Percent unemployed: 6.7%
No. unemployed:
Wyoming
Percent unemployed: 5.9%
No. unemployed: 18,100
Source: BLS
Guayama, Puerto Rico
AP Images
Guayama
Percent unemployed: 21.3%
No. unemployed:
Puerto Rico
Percent unemployed: 14.9%
No. unemployed: 190,200
Source: BLS
Now here are the industries causing the job losses...
Associated Press
