The Economist online reports that throughout the country, unemployment rates are changing at an uneven pace, due to two factors in any particular city: the unemployment rate itself and the size of that city's labor force. The article below details which cities are currently benefiting - and which are being furthered challenged by the economy - from the relationship between these factors.

A tale of two unemployment rates

THE Bureau of Labor Statistics released its latest figures on metropolitan unemployment rates today, and it provides another opportunity for data parsing, for those who like that sort of thing. In particular, it offers a nice glimpse at the funny movements unemployment rates can make as recovery proceeds unevenly around the country.

Consider this. In the relatively strong metropolitan Washington economy, unemployment rose from September to October, from 6.1% to 6.2%. In New York City, the same thing occurred; unemployment increased from 10.2% to 10.3%. In Las Vegas, by contrast, the unemployment rate dropped dramatically, from 13.9% to 13.0%. The unemployment rate also ticked down in Orlando and Tampa. Nevada and Florida are not exactly thought to be the foci of recovery.

What's happening here is an ongoing change in the denominator of the unemployment equation as well as the numerator. The unemployment rate in October...Keep Reading.