The employment market in the U.S. is showing a level of growth, in terms of the nationwide unemployment data. The overall rate dropped to 10.2 percent. During the height of the coronavirus crisis the peak level was 14.7 percent. The current rate means that the rate has fallen by 31 percent.
Despite data moving in the right direction there is considerable variation at state and city level, as new data compiled by WalletHub reveals. The analysis is contained within the report ‘[url=http://: https://wallethub.com/edu/cities-unemployment-rates/73647/ t=_blank]Cities Whose July Unemployment Rates Are Bouncing Back Most’.
What is important about the new figures is that they are formed from revised statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Previously issued data erroneously did not consider the number workers who have been placed onto temporary layoffs as actual unemployed. This means that the actual unemployment rates are 9 percent above what was reported in August. This led to the U.S. government needing to adjust the official rate.
The major cities in the U.S. that are showing the fastest employment recoveries are, in order of experiencing the greatest level of employment growth:
1. Lexington-Fayette, KY
2. Louisville, KY
3. Lincoln, NE
4. Amarillo, TX
5. Nampa, ID
6. Bismarck, ND
7. Cheyenne, WY
8. Boise, ID
9. West Valley City, UT
10. Billings, MT
According to Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst, other cities can recover if they put into force rigorous COVID-19 measures: “Promoting social distancing in public will have a positive impact on the recovery of cities’ unemployment rates. WalletHub’s research shows that around only around 30 percent of consumers would be comfortable shopping in person without protective measures, but another 47 percent would be comfortable if various protections were put in place, like mandatory mask wearing or plexiglass shields at the register.”
