The Census Bureau puts out some great data visualizations on a county-by-county level here. 

Here's the Employment Status visualization which measures Unemployment Rate here (click on map for interactivity): 

Questions:

• Study the legend to determine how the shading corresponds to the unemployment rate.
  • What are 2-3 patterns you see when you look at the map of the United States? 
  • Are there specific states where you see that unemployment is extremely high or extremely low? 
• Who are the biggest employers in your town/city/county? Do you see a lot of signs for "Help Wanted" in your area? What does that tell you about the employment situation? 
• The national unemployment rate has ranged from 3.5% to 4.0% over the past 12 months. How does your county's unemployment rate compare to the national average? 
• In your town or city, do you think the employment situation is improving or worsening? How can you tell?

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Looking for more interactives? Be sure to check out the NGPF Interactive Library here! Here are some of the more popular interactives relating to careers: 

• Will Your Job Be Done by a Machine?
• Shifting Incomes for American Jobs

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.