Everyone is aware of the current state of the economy, but certain cities are feeling more pain when it comes to finding jobs than others. The national job market has grown by about 0.8% since January 2010, which is a small figure, but in a recent post titled "11 Metro Areas Where the Jobs Recovery Has Failed," Business Insider singles out urban areas whose growth rates are even lower. Which are the toughest places to find a new job these days?
Here's a countdown of infamy from Nos. 11 to 1:
11. Boston
This stalwart northeastern city has seen 16,000 new jobs added this past year, which is a positive change of 0.7%, but below the national average. Job sectors that saw the most jobs lost this past year included manufacturing, government and education.
10. Miami
Not all is fun down in South Beach, it seems. Only 6,000 new jobs were added in the past year (0.6% growth), and the region is still haunted by the BP oil spill, which has resulted in a downturn in tourism and leisure industries.
9. Long Island, N.Y.
It may be close to the Big Apple, but with only 6,000 new jobs added this past year, the Long Island region seems a long way away from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan. The sectors hit hardest over the past year include government, construction and manufacturing.
8. Phoenix
The city added about 7,000 jobs this past year (0.4% increase), but it lost 45,700 jobs in the retail industry in January alone.
7. Minneapolis
Minneapolis might rank low on the list, but there's still hope. Even though 7,000 jobs were lost in trade, transportation, utilities and government, education and health services saw the addition of 4,200 new jobs.
6. Los Angeles
The city has pretty much flatlined over the past year with only 1,000 new jobs. Most of the losses have been seen in the retail industry.
5. Riverside, Calif.
Southern California is definitely seeing some harsh realities with the job market this year, with a net loss of 5,000 jobs in Riverside. Government, construction and retails are seeing the biggest drop in labor numbers.
4. Atlanta
Mass layoffs in manufacturing, construction, administrative and support services, including major auto-plant closures in recent years, has led to a net loss of 12,000 jobs this past year (-0.6%).
3. San Francisco
The UCLA Anderson Forecast's first quarterly report of 2011 for the City by the Bay predicts that the unemployment rate (hovering over 10% currently) will finally escape double digits -- by 2013. If you're looking for a silver lining, the report also predicts the construction industry will see a positive turnaround (14.2% increase in jobs by 2013).
2. Newark, N.J.
The news is bleak in Newark, where 15,000 jobs were lost over the past year, with deep cuts in business services, manufacturing, education and health services. Local police departments are also seeing major cuts.
1. Las Vegas
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas -- except for jobs, apparently. With 10,000 jobs lost in the past year (a change of -1.2% from the previous year), the retail industry is getting hard-hit, and with less money being spent on the gaming industry these days, the city has found it difficult to recover its mojo.
The retail sector shed the most jobs after the holidays, leisure and hospitality took a hit, and so did construction. The gaming industry is still struggling to rebound, which is not helping job growth.
All of the above might sound pretty bleak, but as anyone in the military might say, with a challenge comes a great opportunity. With nowhere to go but up, these cities may try to reinvent themselves much as Detroit has done, with openings in new and exciting industries, so keep your eyes open and check frequently with the Military.com Veteran Jobs Center for the newest job position listings across the land.
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