National unemployment at 25-year high
The unemployment rate in the U.S. reached 8.5 percent in March, the highest rate in a quarter of a century. Michigan has the highest unemployment rate in the country, followed by Oregon, South Carolina, California, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Nevada and Indiana.
All eight states have unemployment rates higher than 10 percent. Competition for jobs is getting nasty. But if you are willing to go where the jobs are and unemployment is low, there is still hope. Here are the best places in the country to find jobs.
Boulder, Colorado
If you have experience in the high tech industry, biotechnology or education, you might want to check out the job listings in Boulder. The city’s unemployment rate is 5.8 percent. Granted, that is still higher than the average unemployment in a normal, healthy economy, but it is much better than the current national average. Boulder has a population of 290,000. Also, an attempt last year to ban payday loans from the state failed, so consumers still have the option of getting short-term loans in financial emergencies.
Madison, Wisconsin
With an even lower unemployment rate and and even higher population than Boulder, Madison is a good place to seek work. The city’s unemployment rate is 5.3 percent, and its population is 556,000. Madison also has a big education industry as well as a lot of jobs in biotechnology. It’s also a good place to look for jobs in government. Wisconsin is one of the few states that puts a limit on how much banks can charge for NSF. Payday loans are also easy to get in Wisconsin, and still less expensive than bouncing multiple checks.
Washington, D.C.
Speaking of jobs in government, Washington, D.C.’s unemployment actually fell in March. North Dakota’s fell as well, but there aren’t a lot of jobs there. Besides the jobs in government, D.C. also has a big nonprofit industry and, of course, jobs in defense. D.C.’s unemployment rate is 5.5 percent, and its population is 5.3 million.
Salt Lake City, Utah
Heading back toward the west side of the country, Salt Lake City’s unemployment rate is downright reasonable. At just 4.6 percent, I wonder if Salt Lake City residents even feel it. Salt Lake’s main industries are education, tourism and transportation. The city’s population is 1.1 million. The state of Utah is also know for its recreation and unconventional liquor laws.
Lafayette, Louisiana
If a 1-million-plus population sounds like a bit much for you, you can try Lafayette. The city’s population is 250,000, and it has the lowest unemployment rate on the list at 3.9 percent. With that unemployment rate, it seems you could probably get a job in any industry there. If you are seeking employment in the oil and gas industry, though, you’ll probably be a shoo-in. So if you like Southern living, Lafayette’s your place.
Huntsville, Alabama
If oil and gas isn’t really your thing, but Southern living is, you could try to get a job in the telecom industry in Huntsville. Huntsville’s unemployment is the highest on the list, at 6 percent, but it also supports big aerospace and defense industries.
The lowest unemployment rate, by state, is in Wyoming – but then again, they only get one Congressional representative because there’s a sparse population. On that note, there might be summer jobs in Yellowstone!