The COVID-19 pandemic has been disastrous for U.S. employment, but the job market is showing signs of healing due to states reopening partially or fully. The national unemployment rate is currently at 6.7%, which is 54% lower than the peak of 14.7% during the height of the pandemic. However, we might see a slowdown of future growth; the economy actually had a slight reduction in jobs in December, and the COVID-19 vaccine rollout has been slower than expected. It will likely take a long time for the unemployment rate to return to the historic low it experienced prior to the coronavirus crisis. Some cities’ jobs have weathered the storm better than others, though.
In order to identify where workers have been most affected by the coronavirus pandemic, WalletHub compared 180 cities based on three key metrics. We looked at the change in each city’s unemployment during the latest month for which we have data (December 2020) compared to December 2019 and January 2020. We also considered each city’s overall unemployment rate. Read on for the results, additional commentary from a panel of experts and a full description of our methodology.
Please note that this report relies on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which disclosed that it misclassified some workers on temporary layoffs as “absent from work because of other reasons” rather than “unemployed.” Therefore, the real unemployment rate in December may be around 9% higher than reported. For this reason, WalletHub has included two columns for the unemployment rate in the table below, one with the officially reported unemployment rate and one with the “adjusted” rate after accounting for the misclassification.
Main Findings
Cities Whose Unemployment Rates Are Bouncing Back Most
| Overall Rank | City | Unemployment Rate (December 2020) | Change in Unemployment (December 2020 vs December 2019) | Change in Unemployment (December 2020 vs January 2020) | Adjusted Unemployment Rate* (December 2020) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sioux Falls, SD | 3.00% | -6.04% | -15.55% | 3.27% |
| 2 | Rapid City, SD | 3.40% | -10.63% | -13.71% | 3.71% |
| 3 | Lincoln, NE | 2.90% | 24.99% | 6.44% | 3.16% |
| 4 | Overland Park, KS | 3.10% | 25.13% | 16.26% | 3.38% |
| 5 | Omaha, NE | 3.50% | 22.62% | 1.83% | 3.82% |
| 6 | Juneau, AK | 4.40% | 0.70% | -6.76% | 4.80% |
| 7 | Fort Smith, AR | 4.00% | 21.86% | -2.51% | 4.36% |
| 8 | Des Moines, IA | 4.40% | 18.50% | -11.82% | 4.80% |
| 9 | South Burlington, VT | 2.40% | 69.54% | 29.95% | 2.62% |
| 10 | Cedar Rapids, IA | 4.30% | 15.46% | -0.82% | 4.69% |
| 11 | Cheyenne, WY | 4.20% | 24.67% | 4.83% | 4.58% |
| 12 | Huntsville, AL | 3.40% | 50.79% | 21.02% | 3.71% |
| 13 | Bismarck, ND | 3.40% | 49.55% | 23.68% | 3.71% |
| 14 | Billings, MT | 4.10% | 34.80% | 8.80% | 4.47% |
| 15 | Wichita, KS | 4.50% | 34.03% | 11.07% | 4.91% |
| 16 | Missoula, MT | 4.60% | 36.25% | 14.61% | 5.01% |
| 17 | Fargo, ND | 3.20% | 82.17% | 33.60% | 3.49% |
| 18 | Burlington, VT | 3.10% | 75.32% | 47.22% | 3.38% |
| 19 | West Valley City, UT | 3.90% | 69.53% | 28.88% | 4.25% |
| 20 | Anchorage, AK | 5.50% | 17.59% | 12.16% | 6.00% |
| 21 | Salt Lake City, UT | 3.60% | 78.00% | 40.65% | 3.92% |
| 22 | Fort Wayne, IN | 4.50% | 52.55% | 27.74% | 4.91% |
| 23 | Nashua, NH | 4.60% | 64.93% | 22.75% | 5.01% |
| 24 | Virginia Beach, VA | 4.30% | 76.40% | 43.18% | 4.69% |
| 25 | Madison, WI | 3.90% | 92.38% | 46.71% | 4.25% |
| 26 | Little Rock, AR | 5.00% | 59.15% | 34.68% | 5.45% |
| 27 | Nampa, ID | 5.00% | 63.15% | 31.25% | 5.45% |
| 28 | Columbus, OH | 5.20% | 60.77% | 25.80% | 5.67% |
| 29 | Cape Coral, FL | 4.80% | 69.04% | 44.82% | 5.23% |
| 30 | Chesapeake, VA | 4.60% | 77.99% | 45.22% | 5.01% |
| 31 | Boise, ID | 4.30% | 82.78% | 54.63% | 4.69% |
| 32 | Manchester, NH | 4.40% | 91.26% | 41.80% | 4.80% |
| 33 | Lewiston, ME | 4.90% | 82.78% | 33.33% | 5.34% |
| 34 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | 5.10% | 71.77% | 42.25% | 5.56% |
| 35 | Springfield, MO | 5.30% | 65.22% | 40.43% | 5.78% |
| 36 | Reno, NV | 5.00% | 78.78% | 44.69% | 5.45% |
| 37 | St. Paul, MN | 5.00% | 65.25% | 66.11% | 5.45% |
| 38 | Gilbert, AZ | 5.20% | 67.09% | 54.94% | 5.67% |
| 39 | Louisville, KY | 5.70% | 64.92% | 37.32% | 6.21% |
| 40 | Toledo, OH | 6.80% | 43.89% | 8.27% | 7.41% |
| 41 | Charleston, WV | 6.10% | 44.40% | 44.71% | 6.65% |
| 42 | Cincinnati, OH | 6.00% | 65.56% | 28.01% | 6.54% |
| 43 | Akron, OH | 6.80% | 49.85% | 13.13% | 7.41% |
| 44 | Port St. Lucie, FL | 5.30% | 80.27% | 52.46% | 5.78% |
| 45 | Charleston, SC | 4.10% | 115.12% | 79.14% | 4.47% |
| 46 | Minneapolis, MN | 4.80% | 77.67% | 87.18% | 5.23% |
| 47 | Indianapolis, IN | 5.20% | 88.83% | 57.47% | 5.67% |
| 48 | Grand Rapids, MI | 5.70% | 76.60% | 46.84% | 6.21% |
| 49 | Gulfport, MS | 6.80% | 38.35% | 39.60% | 7.41% |
| 50 | Pittsburgh, PA | 6.70% | 53.21% | 33.92% | 7.30% |
| 51 | Casper, WY | 6.40% | 58.28% | 43.02% | 6.98% |
| 52 | Scottsdale, AZ | 5.50% | 81.23% | 63.73% | 6.00% |
| 53 | Columbia, SC | 5.10% | 103.67% | 61.48% | 5.56% |
| 54 | Oklahoma City, OK | 5.20% | 81.23% | 80.21% | 5.67% |
| 55 | Portland, ME | 4.80% | 112.94% | 69.16% | 5.23% |
| 56 | Raleigh, NC | 5.70% | 89.04% | 56.86% | 6.21% |
| 57 | Durham, NC | 5.60% | 93.21% | 58.60% | 6.10% |
| 58 | Jacksonville, FL | 5.50% | 97.38% | 65.79% | 6.00% |
| 59 | Amarillo, TX | 4.90% | 110.21% | 81.23% | 5.34% |
| 60 | Plano, TX | 5.40% | 94.42% | 74.07% | 5.89% |
| 61 | Huntington, WV | 6.50% | 62.67% | 56.80% | 7.09% |
| 62 | Aurora, IL | 6.60% | 64.51% | 51.92% | 7.19% |
| 63 | Peoria, AZ | 6.20% | 77.68% | 58.24% | 6.76% |
| 64 | Salem, OR | 6.00% | 96.44% | 48.94% | 6.54% |
| 65 | Tempe, AZ | 6.10% | 83.96% | 61.49% | 6.65% |
| 66 | Spokane, WA | 7.90% | 44.01% | 26.12% | 8.61% |
| 67 | Chandler, AZ | 6.00% | 91.52% | 71.44% | 6.54% |
| 68 | Dover, DE | 7.40% | 62.94% | 35.23% | 8.07% |
| 69 | Austin, TX | 4.90% | 123.22% | 95.14% | 5.34% |
| 70 | Mobile, AL | 6.60% | 86.08% | 54.43% | 7.19% |
| 71 | Vancouver, WA | 7.40% | 57.78% | 45.95% | 8.07% |
| 72 | Augusta, GA | 6.90% | 85.71% | 43.06% | 7.52% |
| 73 | Tallahassee, FL | 6.00% | 104.84% | 66.75% | 6.54% |
| 74 | Las Cruces, NM | 7.70% | 53.20% | 40.03% | 8.39% |
| 75 | Jackson, MS | 7.50% | 50.12% | 52.86% | 8.18% |
| 76 | Baton Rouge, LA | 7.70% | 59.21% | 35.15% | 8.39% |
| 77 | Pembroke Pines, FL | 5.50% | 114.19% | 84.80% | 6.00% |
| 78 | Charlotte, NC | 6.30% | 98.68% | 63.83% | 6.87% |
| 79 | Washington, DC | 7.60% | 54.10% | 49.31% | 8.28% |
| 80 | Newport News, VA | 6.40% | 102.03% | 59.29% | 6.98% |
| 81 | Winston-Salem, NC | 6.70% | 94.95% | 57.75% | 7.30% |
| 82 | Columbus, GA | 7.00% | 84.42% | 54.71% | 7.63% |
| 83 | Tulsa, OK | 6.10% | 93.32% | 88.17% | 6.65% |
| 84 | Garland, TX | 6.10% | 101.33% | 83.88% | 6.65% |
| 85 | Kansas City, MO | 6.70% | 92.11% | 66.19% | 7.30% |
| 86 | St. Petersburg, FL | 5.60% | 123.54% | 88.18% | 6.10% |
| 87 | Mesa, AZ | 6.90% | 89.85% | 68.97% | 7.52% |
| 88 | Shreveport, LA | 8.30% | 57.06% | 38.10% | 9.05% |
| 89 | Lubbock, TX | 5.60% | 128.59% | 92.23% | 6.10% |
| 90 | Montgomery, AL | 6.10% | 121.50% | 76.95% | 6.65% |
| 91 | Birmingham, AL | 6.40% | 115.07% | 70.92% | 6.98% |
| 92 | Knoxville, TN | 5.90% | 124.21% | 90.79% | 6.43% |
| 93 | Wilmington, DE | 8.40% | 59.66% | 41.04% | 9.16% |
| 94 | Albuquerque, NM | 7.40% | 82.44% | 66.40% | 8.07% |
| 95 | Tampa, FL | 6.00% | 124.30% | 90.91% | 6.54% |
| 96 | Tacoma, WA | 8.30% | 60.89% | 48.10% | 9.05% |
| 97 | Baltimore, MD | 7.90% | 81.18% | 55.74% | 8.61% |
| 98 | Yonkers, NY | 8.10% | 70.31% | 63.71% | 8.83% |
| 99 | Norfolk, VA | 6.70% | 118.34% | 81.00% | 7.30% |
| 100 | Richmond, VA | 6.50% | 126.36% | 82.48% | 7.09% |
| 101 | Greensboro, NC | 7.40% | 103.30% | 65.10% | 8.07% |
| 102 | Warwick, RI | 6.60% | 121.46% | 85.08% | 7.19% |
| 103 | Chattanooga, TN | 6.80% | 118.55% | 83.54% | 7.41% |
| 104 | Irving, TX | 6.30% | 130.06% | 103.46% | 6.87% |
| 105 | Glendale, AZ | 7.60% | 102.14% | 80.89% | 8.28% |
| 106 | Nashville, TN | 5.70% | 155.08% | 116.93% | 6.21% |
| 107 | Grand Prairie, TX | 6.90% | 122.25% | 97.39% | 7.52% |
| 108 | Tucson, AZ | 8.20% | 88.30% | 71.58% | 8.94% |
| 109 | San Antonio, TX | 6.50% | 135.36% | 103.97% | 7.09% |
| 110 | Fremont, CA | 5.90% | 155.91% | 111.82% | 6.43% |
| 111 | Arlington, TX | 6.70% | 128.14% | 103.40% | 7.30% |
| 112 | Philadelphia, PA | 9.30% | 64.14% | 47.68% | 10.14% |
| 113 | Phoenix, AZ | 7.60% | 109.91% | 87.55% | 8.28% |
| 114 | Fayetteville, NC | 8.90% | 87.15% | 52.93% | 9.70% |
| 115 | Fort Worth, TX | 7.00% | 131.12% | 102.93% | 7.63% |
| 116 | Atlanta, GA | 7.00% | 139.63% | 95.32% | 7.63% |
| 117 | Irvine, CA | 6.10% | 163.32% | 116.28% | 6.65% |
| 118 | Milwaukee, WI | 8.30% | 111.30% | 70.23% | 9.05% |
| 119 | Cleveland, OH | 9.10% | 96.87% | 48.78% | 9.92% |
| 120 | Jersey City, NJ | 7.70% | 115.85% | 95.62% | 8.39% |
| 121 | El Paso, TX | 7.70% | 122.72% | 97.94% | 8.39% |
| 122 | Dallas, TX | 7.10% | 138.25% | 112.66% | 7.74% |
| 123 | Portland, OR | 6.60% | 165.19% | 109.53% | 7.19% |
| 124 | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | 6.50% | 160.35% | 119.49% | 7.09% |
| 125 | St. Louis, MO | 8.40% | 111.61% | 83.96% | 9.16% |
| 126 | Houston, TX | 7.90% | 124.91% | 98.72% | 8.61% |
| 127 | Laredo, TX | 8.10% | 121.69% | 92.66% | 8.83% |
| 128 | Oxnard, CA | 9.00% | 95.67% | 80.95% | 9.81% |
| 129 | Providence, RI | 8.70% | 119.45% | 79.06% | 9.48% |
| 130 | Corpus Christi, TX | 8.70% | 112.21% | 88.04% | 9.48% |
| 131 | Seattle, WA | 6.10% | 175.39% | 146.29% | 6.65% |
| 132 | Fresno, CA | 9.80% | 98.72% | 70.58% | 10.68% |
| 133 | Santa Rosa, CA | 6.90% | 181.19% | 123.09% | 7.52% |
| 134 | Bakersfield, CA | 9.90% | 107.14% | 70.03% | 10.79% |
| 135 | San Jose, CA | 6.70% | 187.81% | 141.00% | 7.30% |
| 136 | Modesto, CA | 10.00% | 104.83% | 75.56% | 10.90% |
| 137 | Santa Clarita, CA | 9.30% | 129.51% | 104.37% | 10.14% |
| 138 | Brownsville, TX | 11.30% | 80.86% | 60.99% | 12.32% |
| 139 | Buffalo, NY | 10.60% | 93.16% | 81.87% | 11.55% |
| 140 | Riverside, CA | 8.40% | 164.58% | 117.97% | 9.16% |
| 141 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 7.70% | 189.65% | 134.60% | 8.39% |
| 142 | San Francisco, CA | 6.40% | 225.62% | 168.96% | 6.98% |
| 143 | Huntington Beach, CA | 7.40% | 199.51% | 153.31% | 8.07% |
| 144 | New Haven, CT | 9.50% | 166.08% | 92.30% | 10.36% |
| 145 | Henderson, NV | 8.80% | 160.54% | 131.11% | 9.59% |
| 146 | Ontario, CA | 8.20% | 182.41% | 139.08% | 8.94% |
| 147 | Rochester, NY | 11.60% | 87.01% | 80.27% | 12.64% |
| 148 | San Diego, CA | 7.90% | 198.08% | 149.70% | 8.61% |
| 149 | Memphis, TN | 9.80% | 155.36% | 113.85% | 10.68% |
| 150 | Fontana, CA | 8.70% | 185.43% | 140.11% | 9.48% |
| 151 | Worcester, MA | 8.60% | 203.54% | 130.19% | 9.37% |
| 152 | Oceanside, CA | 8.40% | 199.36% | 147.60% | 9.16% |
| 153 | Glendale, CA | 9.90% | 157.08% | 125.16% | 10.79% |
| 154 | Sacramento, CA | 9.20% | 186.04% | 132.50% | 10.03% |
| 155 | Stockton, CA | 12.60% | 95.91% | 68.25% | 13.73% |
| 156 | Boston, MA | 7.30% | 254.93% | 154.57% | 7.96% |
| 157 | Orlando, FL | 7.80% | 218.96% | 171.66% | 8.50% |
| 158 | Chula Vista, CA | 9.10% | 188.46% | 143.18% | 9.92% |
| 159 | New Orleans, LA | 11.20% | 135.51% | 105.43% | 12.21% |
| 160 | Los Angeles, CA | 10.60% | 149.23% | 122.05% | 11.55% |
| 161 | Santa Ana, CA | 8.10% | 223.36% | 173.87% | 8.83% |
| 162 | Bridgeport, CT | 12.00% | 151.95% | 79.49% | 13.08% |
| 163 | Newark, NJ | 13.00% | 108.74% | 79.84% | 14.17% |
| 164 | Las Vegas, NV | 10.30% | 175.84% | 141.80% | 11.23% |
| 165 | Moreno Valley, CA | 10.40% | 178.31% | 137.87% | 11.34% |
| 166 | Honolulu, HI | 8.00% | 272.33% | 185.08% | 8.72% |
| 167 | Oakland, CA | 9.60% | 219.22% | 165.42% | 10.46% |
| 168 | Colorado Springs, CO | 9.00% | 235.63% | 182.82% | 9.81% |
| 169 | Anaheim, CA | 8.80% | 237.54% | 190.29% | 9.59% |
| 170 | North Las Vegas, NV | 11.20% | 179.15% | 140.45% | 12.21% |
| 171 | Chicago, IL | 10.00% | 224.78% | 168.50% | 10.90% |
| 172 | Long Beach, CA | 12.10% | 181.86% | 155.16% | 13.19% |
| 173 | Garden Grove, CA | 9.50% | 261.47% | 203.96% | 10.36% |
| 174 | New York, NY | 11.00% | 231.75% | 192.64% | 11.99% |
| 175 | Denver, CO | 9.30% | 314.82% | 243.74% | 10.14% |
| 176 | San Bernardino, CA | 13.10% | 227.15% | 180.67% | 14.28% |
| 177 | Aurora, CO | 10.20% | 325.50% | 247.92% | 11.12% |
| 178 | Hialeah, FL | 7.60% | 375.85% | 384.46% | 8.28% |
| 179 | Miami, FL | 7.70% | 399.42% | 403.52% | 8.39% |
| 180 | Detroit, MI | 20.30% | 181.53% | 147.41% | 22.13% |
*Adjusted based on a Bureau of Labor Statistics error that failed to classify people on temporary layoffs as unemployed.
Ask the Experts
The high national rate of unemployment has left many Americans wondering how they will make it through the pandemic. In order to provide insight on how to help the unemployed during this crisis, WalletHub turned to a panel of experts. Click on the experts below to see their bios and responses to the following key questions:
- As the avalanche of claims has overwhelmed state offices, what are some measures local authorities can take to assist the unemployed?
- Given the current state of the economy how long will it take for unemployment rates to return to pre-crisis levels?
- Due to the massive backlog in processing unemployment claims, many have still not received their benefits. What are the best solutions for the population that have not yet begun receiving their payments to make ends meet?
- What can those that are newly unemployed be doing right now?
Ask the Experts
- Christine Moser
Ph.D. – Professor, Associate Director, AEA Summer Training Program, Department of Economics, Western Michigan University
Read More
- David M. Piper
Department Chairperson and Professor, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Read More
- Tuvana Rua
Ph.D. – Associate Professor of Management, School of Business, Quinnipiac University
Read More
- Linda Fisher Thornton
Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Richmond School of Professional and Continuing Studies
Read More
Methodology
In order to determine the cities where unemployment is most impacted by COVID-19, WalletHub compared 180 of the largest cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least one of the most populated cities in each state — across two categories. In the first category, we compared the change in unemployment for the latest month for which we had data (December 2020) to both December 2019 and January 2020, in order to show the impact since last year and since the beginning of this year. In the second category, we looked at each city’s overall unemployment rate. We then used the average of those categories to rank-order the cities.
Change in Unemployment - Total Points: 50
- Change in Unemployment in December 2020 vs. December 2019: Full Weight (~25.00 Points)
- Change in Unemployment in December 2020 vs. January 2020: Full Weight (~25.00 Points)
Unemployment Rate - Total Points: 50
- Unemployment Rate (December 2020): Full Weight (~50.00 Points)
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were obtained from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.