These are the cities with unemployment half the national average
5. Iowa City, Iowa
> February unemployment: 4.2%
> 12-month change in unemployment: -4.5%
In February 2011, Iowa City had an unemployment rate of 4.4% — the fifth-lowest rate in the United States. By February 2012, the rate had fallen even further to 4.2%. Like most of the state, Iowa City’s labor market avoided the effects of the recession, losing just 3.2% of jobs from its peak. Not only that, but in the past 12 months, the region’s job growth has more than offset its growing labor force. The biggest gains have been in the transportation, trade and utilities sectors.
4. Ames, Iowa
> February unemployment: 4.0%
> 12-month change in unemployment: -13.0%
The unemployment rate in Ames dropped from the already low 4.6% one year ago to 4.0% in February 2012. In the past six months, the region’s labor force has added hundreds of new workers. Major areas of employment in Ames include the biotech and agriculture industries, as well as education, thanks to Iowa State University.
3. Lincoln, Nebr.
> February unemployment: 4.0%
> 12-month change in unemployment: -9.1%
Lincoln is one of the best metropolitan areas in the country for jobs, and has been for some time. According to USA Today, the region’s unemployment rate has not exceeded 5% since the Bureau of Labor Statistics started tracking it over 20 years ago. The area has a very diverse economy, which includes the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, insurance, customer service, health care and financial services.
2. Midland, Tex.
> February unemployment: 3.8%
> 12-month change in unemployment: -19.1%
Midland is tied with Bismark, N.D., for having the lowest unemployment rate in the country. In the past 12 months, unemployment dropped in the region by nearly 20% from an already low 4.7% to 3.8%. The biggest increases have been in mining and manufacturing, which have together added thousands of jobs in the past year.
1. Bismark, N.D.
> February unemployment: 3.8%
> 12-month change in unemployment: -9.5%
North Dakota has the lowest unemployment rate of any state. Bismark, the capital, is tied with Midland, Tex., for the lowest unemployment rate in the country of the 372 metro regions tracked by the BLS. Nationwide, one of the biggest areas of recovery in the past year has been government jobs. As the state’s capital, Bismark’s employment has continued to improve, falling by 9.5% from an already low 4.2% in February 2011 to 3.8% in February 2012. According to an ABC news report on the city, the oil boom that has boosted the rest of the state also has been a main driver for the region’s healthy job market.
–Michael B. Sauter, Charles B. Stockdale
