Mapping U.S. Unemployment

The New York Times has mapped out an estimation of unemployment levels in every American neighborhood. In These Neighborhoods, the Jobless Rate May Top 30% the NYT has mapped the estimated unemployment level in every census tract based on national economic statistics.

The NYT article includes side-by-side maps for New York, Chicago and Los Angeles which compare the unemployment in each city's neighborhoods in February of this year and in June. The article also includes a larger interactive map which shows an estimation of unemployment rates in every U.S. census tract. The maps reveal that unemployment has hit some communities much harder than others. In general people living in the census tracts with the lowest average incomes have been hit the hardest by job losses. Conversely census tracts with higher average incomes have not been hit as hard by the shrinking economy. 

Sites USA has created an interactive map which also visualizes the astonishing rise in the unemployment figures over the course of this year. The Unemployment Map shows the AGS labor force estimates at county level across the whole of the United States. 

The map includes a date option which allows you to view the weekly unemployment numbers since the beginning of March. As you can see in the animated GIF above there was an incredible rise in the unemployment figures during lock-down across the whole country. If you want to know how your local job market has performed since March then click on your county on the map. You can then view a graph showing the unemployment figures from the 7th March to the end of July in the selected county.