The U.S. economy added 164,000 jobs in July, nearly in line with the expectations of economists. July marks 106 consecutive months of jobs growth — the longest in U.S. history.

Over the last five years alone, overall employment — the number of people employed — in the United States climbed by 7.3%. At the same time, the unemployment rate dipped from 6.1% in June 2014, to 3.4% in June 2019 — close to its lowest point in decades. 

Job growth has not been even nationwide, and in some U.S. cities, employment has declined by at least 2.5% in the last five years, and by as much as 16.7% in one case. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed five-year changes in employment at the metro area level to identify the cities losing the most jobs. As can be seen on this list of the cities adding the most jobs, jobs are being added at the fastest rates in the Southern and Western United States. The cities losing the most jobs, on the other hand, can be found in 13 states all across the country. 

The metro areas on this list share many of the common issues associated with economic stagnation and weak labor markets, including high poverty, high unemployment, and low incomes. Most of the metro areas on this list have college attainment rates well below the national rate of 32% of adults with a bachelor’s degree. 

Those who have a college degree tend to have an easier time finding steady work, and places with a better-educated workforce are often more attractive to potential employers. These are America’s most and least educated states.

Click here to see the American cities losing the most jobs
Click here to read our methodology