File this under: we like knowing what's going on in the world, but in greater detail than everyone else. Each month we get the new unemployment statistics and one thing is consistent: unemployment rates are on the rise. But we also know that these rates aren't smooth and consistent from one community to the next. How do you find out a little more detail without having to do research on your own? Visit Christopher Uggen's blog here; he lists the 372 metropolitan areas in America in descending order of unemployment rate. Overall, the national rate is 9%.
Here are some snapshots. El Centro, California has a 25% unemployment rate while Merced, California (celebrating the first graduating class of UC Merced) is weighed down by a 20% rate. California is really hurting; it has eleven metro areas with higher unemployment rates than Flint, Michigan. Two of the three metro areas with the lowest unemployment rates are in Iowa: Ames, at 3.7 percent and Iowa City at 3.6 percent. In general, college towns are doing pretty well. Life might be getting complicated for universities these days, but as corporations go – we've got a pretty good safety net.