US – Unemployment has not recovered in 95 percent of county economies to pre-recession levels

County economic trends are an essential measure of the well-being of county residents. The conditions of a county economy can constrain and challenge county governments, residents and businesses, while also providing opportunities. This analysis of county economic conditions identifies patterns of growth and recovery in 2014 across the 3,069 county economies by examining annual changes in jobs, unemployment rates, economic output (GDP) and median home prices. In addition, it explores 2013 wage dynamics by adjusting average annual pay in county economies for the local cost-of-living and inflation. The overall analysis reveals that:

• 2014 was a year of recovery, but unemployment has yet to return to pre-recession lows in most county economies. Read more…
• Job growth accelerated in 2014, while economic output expansion and county housing markets stabilized across the country. Read more…
• Economic recovery is starting to spread, although only 65 county economies have fully recovered. Read more…
• 2014 recorded higher net job creation than the previous year, with 40 percent of the new jobs in industries earning more than the average county pay.

via County Economic Tracker 2014: Progress through Adversity.