The U.S. economy appears to be recovering from the pandemic-induced recession faster than many experts anticipated. According to the most recent jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. added 943,000 jobs in July, considerably more than the 845,000 expected by the economists surveyed by Dow Jones, and the largest single month increase in nearly a year. The report also revised job gains in June from 850,000 up to 938,000.
Strong national job growth in recent months has pushed the unemployment rate down to 5.4%, the lowest level since the beginning of the pandemic. Still, job growth has not benefited all parts of the country equally. In areas where the economy has been struggling long before the pandemic, as well as those where jobs have been slow to come back, local unemployment rates are more than double the current national rate.Â
Using monthly unemployment from the BLS, 24/7 Wall St. identified the 51 counties and county equivalents, such as independent cities, with the highest unemployment. Counties are ranked by the June 2021 unemployment.Â
In addition to high unemployment, the counties and county equivalents on this list typically have other indicators reflecting struggling economies. For example, most of these areas have large populations affected by poverty. In all but a handful of these areas, the local poverty rate far exceeds the 13.4% national rate. Here is a look at the poorest counties in every state.Â
The counties on this list also tend to have relatively small college-educated populations. According to the BLS, the average unemployment rate among labor force participants with a bachelor’s degree was 5.5% in 2020. Meanwhile, 9.0% of those in the labor force with no more than a high school diploma were unemployed that year. Only one county on this list has a bachelor’s degree attainment rate higher than the 32.1% national average. Here is a look at the least educated county in the United States.Â
Click here to see the 51 counties with the highest unemployment.
To identify the 50 counties with the highest unemployment, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on unemployment from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics program. Counties and county equivalents were ranked based on unemployment rates for June 2021. Current and historical unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted. Supplemental data on poverty and educational attainment came from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey.
51. Petersburg, Virginia
> June 2021 unemployment: 11.0% — tied
> Poverty rate: 24.1%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 19.8%
> Population: 31,362
> Largest place in county: Petersburg
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Source: 25or6to4 / Wikimedia Commons
50. Brooks County, Texas
> June 2021 unemployment: 11.0% — tied
> Poverty rate: 41.4%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 15.7%
> Population: 7,141
> Largest place in county: Falfurrias
Source: Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD / Wikimedia Commons
49. Leflore County, Mississippi
> June 2021 unemployment: 11.0% — tied
> Poverty rate: 36.8%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 18.5%
> Population: 29,222
> Largest place in county: Greenwood
Source: Roger Smith / Flickr
48. Issaquena County, Mississippi
> June 2021 unemployment: 11.0% — tied
> Poverty rate: 36.0%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 3.2%
> Population: 1,361
> Largest place in county: Mayersville
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Source: tupungato / Getty Images
47. Tulare County, California
> June 2021 unemployment: 11.0% — tied
> Poverty rate: 23.8%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 14.6%
> Population: 461,898
> Largest place in county: Visalia
46. Newton County, Texas
> June 2021 unemployment: 11.1% — tied
> Poverty rate: 24.4%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 9.7%
> Population: 13,914
> Largest place in county: Newton
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45. Jefferson County, Texas
> June 2021 unemployment: 11.1% — tied
> Poverty rate: 17.7%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 19.7%
> Population: 254,340
> Largest place in county: Beaumont
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44. Atlantic County, New Jersey
> June 2021 unemployment: 11.1% — tied
> Poverty rate: 13.3%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 28.1%
> Population: 266,105
> Largest place in county: Atlantic City
Source: nataliemaynor / Flickr
43. Jasper County, Texas
> June 2021 unemployment: 11.2% — tied
> Poverty rate: 18.5%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 12.9%
> Population: 35,506
> Largest place in county: Jasper
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Source: ademyan / Getty Images
42. Kauai County, Hawaii
> June 2021 unemployment: 11.2% — tied
> Poverty rate: 8.1%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 29.2%
> Population: 71,769
> Largest place in county: Kapaa
Source: James_Gabbert / iStock via Getty Images
41. Lea County, New Mexico
> June 2021 unemployment: 11.3%
> Poverty rate: 15.8%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 13.6%
> Population: 70,277
> Largest place in county: Hobbs
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Source: Aualliso, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
40. Crane County, Texas
> June 2021 unemployment: 11.4% — tied
> Poverty rate: 8.1%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 14.7%
> Population: 4,802
> Largest place in county: Crane
Source: Thomas R Machnitzki ([email protected]) / Wikimedia Commons
39. Coahoma County, Mississippi
> June 2021 unemployment: 11.4% — tied
> Poverty rate: 34.8%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 16.5%
> Population: 23,255
> Largest place in county: Clarksdale
Source: Tiago_Fernandez / iStock via Getty Images
38. Adams County, Mississippi
> June 2021 unemployment: 11.5% — tied
> Poverty rate: 31.5%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 17.4%
> Population: 31,266
> Largest place in county: Natchez
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37. St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana
> June 2021 unemployment: 11.5% — tied
> Poverty rate: 17.4%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 15.9%
> Population: 43,242
> Largest place in county: Laplace
36. Duval County, Texas
> June 2021 unemployment: 11.6% — tied
> Poverty rate: 22.8%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 9.0%
> Population: 11,268
> Largest place in county: San Diego
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Source: BOB WESTON / Getty Images
35. Clay County, Georgia
> June 2021 unemployment: 11.6% — tied
> Poverty rate: 39.5%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 12.5%
> Population: 2,951
> Largest place in county: Fort Gaines
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Source: CampPhoto / iStock via Getty Images
34. Colusa County, California
> June 2021 unemployment: 11.8% — tied
> Poverty rate: 13.0%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 15.0%
> Population: 21,454
> Largest place in county: Colusa
Source: Courtesy of Joseph via Flickr
33. Nome Census Area, Alaska
> June 2021 unemployment: 11.8% — tied
> Poverty rate: 21.5%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 16.1%
> Population: 9,988
> Largest place in county: Nome
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Source: BOB WESTON / iStock via Getty Images
32. Sunflower County, Mississippi
> June 2021 unemployment: 11.9%
> Poverty rate: 31.7%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 15.4%
> Population: 26,168
> Largest place in county: Indianola
Source: BOB WESTON / iStock via Getty Images
31. Morris County, Texas
> June 2021 unemployment: 12.0% — tied
> Poverty rate: 17.8%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 14.3%
> Population: 12,373
> Largest place in county: Daingerfield
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Source: BOB WESTON / iStock via Getty Images
30. Sharkey County, Mississippi
> June 2021 unemployment: 12.0% — tied
> Poverty rate: 27.4%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 19.5%
> Population: 4,404
> Largest place in county: Rolling Fork
Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images
29. Orleans Parish, Louisiana
> June 2021 unemployment: 12.0% — tied
> Poverty rate: 23.7%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 37.6%
> Population: 390,845
> Largest place in county: New Orleans
Source: carmengabriela / iStock via Getty Images
28. Skagway Municipality, Alaska
> June 2021 unemployment: 12.2%
> Poverty rate: 6.4%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 29.6%
> Population: 1,107
> Largest place in county: N/A
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27. East Carroll Parish, Louisiana
> June 2021 unemployment: 12.3% — tied
> Poverty rate: 44.6%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 8.9%
> Population: 7,096
> Largest place in county: Lake Providence
Source: Ammodramus / Wikimedia Commons
26. Santa Cruz County, Arizona
> June 2021 unemployment: 12.3% — tied
> Poverty rate: 23.3%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 20.4%
> Population: 46,480
> Largest place in county: Nogales
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Source: BOB WESTON / iStock via Getty Images
25. Jim Wells County, Texas
> June 2021 unemployment: 12.4% — tied
> Poverty rate: 23.2%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 12.2%
> Population: 40,972
> Largest place in county: Alice
Source: Andrew Filer / Flickr
24. Rolette County, North Dakota
> June 2021 unemployment: 12.4% — tied
> Poverty rate: 27.1%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 19.6%
> Population: 14,511
> Largest place in county: Belcourt
Source: ilya_ktsn / Flickr
23. Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska
> June 2021 unemployment: 12.4% — tied
> Poverty rate: 25.4%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 13.6%
> Population: 5,377
> Largest place in county: Fort Yukon
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22. Presidio County, Texas
> June 2021 unemployment: 12.7% — tied
> Poverty rate: 39.0%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 21.2%
> Population: 6,975
> Largest place in county: Presidio
Source: Z28scrambler, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
21. St. Helena Parish, Louisiana
> June 2021 unemployment: 12.7% — tied
> Poverty rate: 18.4%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 16.7%
> Population: 10,297
> Largest place in county: Greensburg
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Source: ChrisBoswell / iStock via Getty Images
20. Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska
> June 2021 unemployment: 12.9%
> Poverty rate: 26.1%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 13.2%
> Population: 7,715
> Largest place in county: Kotzebue
Source: BOB WESTON / iStock via Getty Images
19. Perry County, Tennessee
> June 2021 unemployment: 13.0% — tied
> Poverty rate: 26.9%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 11.5%
> Population: 7,962
> Largest place in county: Lobelville
Source: Travis / Flickr
18. Bethel Census Area, Alaska
> June 2021 unemployment: 13.0% — tied
> Poverty rate: 28.3%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 11.9%
> Population: 18,134
> Largest place in county: Bethel
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
17. Magoffin County, Kentucky
> June 2021 unemployment: 13.1%
> Poverty rate: 28.3%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 9.5%
> Population: 12,491
> Largest place in county: Salyersville
Source: BOB WESTON / iStock via Getty Images
16. Willacy County, Texas
> June 2021 unemployment: 13.4%
> Poverty rate: 27.0%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 8.9%
> Population: 21,588
> Largest place in county: Raymondville
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Source: Deberarr / iStock
15. Bronx County, New York
> June 2021 unemployment: 13.7% — tied
> Poverty rate: 28.0%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 20.1%
> Population: 1,435,068
> Largest place in county: New York
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Source: CampPhoto / Getty Images
14. Apache County, Arizona
> June 2021 unemployment: 13.7% — tied
> Poverty rate: 35.5%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 12.3%
> Population: 71,511
> Largest place in county: Chinle
Source: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D. / Wikimedia Commons
13. Zavala County, Texas
> June 2021 unemployment: 14.3%
> Poverty rate: 33.8%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 10.9%
> Population: 12,039
> Largest place in county: Crystal City
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Source: BOB WESTON / Getty Images
12. Maverick County, Texas
> June 2021 unemployment: 14.6%
> Poverty rate: 26.9%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 12.7%
> Population: 58,174
> Largest place in county: Eagle Pass
Source: BOB WESTON / Getty Images
11. Holmes County, Mississippi
> June 2021 unemployment: 15.1%
> Poverty rate: 42.4%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 10.2%
> Population: 17,737
> Largest place in county: Durant
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Source: BOB WESTON / Getty Images
10. Humphreys County, Mississippi
> June 2021 unemployment: 15.3%
> Poverty rate: 36.4%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 12.8%
> Population: 8,389
> Largest place in county: Belzoni
Source: BOB WESTON / iStock via Getty Images
9. Zapata County, Texas
> June 2021 unemployment: 15.5%
> Poverty rate: 34.5%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 11.6%
> Population: 14,304
> Largest place in county: Medina
Source: C5Media / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
8. Claiborne County, Mississippi
> June 2021 unemployment: 15.6%
> Poverty rate: 41.0%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 24.0%
> Population: 9,089
> Largest place in county: Port Gibson
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Source: RAUL RODRIGUEZ / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
7. Luna County, New Mexico
> June 2021 unemployment: 16.5%
> Poverty rate: 27.7%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 12.5%
> Population: 24,083
> Largest place in county: Deming
6. Wilkinson County, Mississippi
> June 2021 unemployment: 16.6%
> Poverty rate: 34.7%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 13.7%
> Population: 8,875
> Largest place in county: Centreville
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Source: santalechuga / iStock via Getty Images
5. Imperial County, California
> June 2021 unemployment: 17.5%
> Poverty rate: 24.1%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 15.2%
> Population: 180,701
> Largest place in county: El Centro
Source: Carol M. Highsmith / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
4. Starr County, Texas
> June 2021 unemployment: 18.6%
> Poverty rate: 34.7%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 9.9%
> Population: 64,078
> Largest place in county: Rio Grande City
3. Yuma County, Arizona
> June 2021 unemployment: 20.4%
> Poverty rate: 19.4%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 15.0%
> Population: 209,468
> Largest place in county: Yuma
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Source: BOB WESTON / iStock via Getty Images
2. Jefferson County, Mississippi
> June 2021 unemployment: 21.9%
> Poverty rate: 37.6%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 15.9%
> Population: 7,225
> Largest place in county: Fayette
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
1. Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska
> June 2021 unemployment: 24.0%
> Poverty rate: 39.0%
> Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 3.9%
> Population: 8,250
> Largest place in county: N/A
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