Unemployment is Rising
Employment figures released this morning show that the economy has now lost 3.6 million jobs since December 2007, included close to half that in the last 3 months alone. The Unemployment Rate is now 7.6% nationally.
Fortunately jobs aren’t fading in every housing market equally.
Some Parts of The Country Are Growing
According to Ajilon Professional Staffing, there are still areas around the country where unemployment rates are low and job outlook is strong.
Led by Madison, WI, Ajilon calls them “10 Cities For Job Growth in 2009” and they are:
- Madison, WI
- Washington, D.C.
- Boston, MA
- Richmond, VA
- Milwaukee, WI
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Baltimore, MD
- Seattle, WA
- Houston, TX
- Dallas, TX
There’s no special sauce uniting the list — cities are buffered by industries as varied as healthcare, energy, and technology. However, it’s worth noting that in each of these 10 cities, housing markets seem to be performing above-average when compared to the rest of the country.
Clearly, there’s a link between jobs and housing.
(Image kudos: Forbes.com)
