Unemployment in the USA, Pennsylvania and the Valley (Chart)

Our entry on school taxes last week got more views and comments than many previous ones, so we wanted to follow up with another relevant topic and accompanying graph - unemployment.  Take a look at the chart below that compares unemployment in the Valley with unemployment across the US and in Pennsylvania, starting in January 2008 and up to May 2012, the last month that numbers were available.

Okay, so what can we make of this chart?  A few points:

• US and Pennsylvania unemployment rates are relatively smooth, while the Valley's tend to ebb and flow much more dramatically.  This makes sense; the Valley is a smaller geographical area, so when one large business opens or closes, it can have a more dramatic effect on the overall unemployment rate.
• Pennsylvania has consistently had lower unemployment numbers than the country, something made even more impressive when you consider that Pennsylvania is a "rust belt" state that is supposed to still be struggling in its transition away from manufacturing.
• In general, the Valley has had lower unemployment rates than the rest of the US, but higher rates than the rest of Pennsylvania.  Does this mean that it will take longer for the Valley to recover from the recession than the rest of the state?  And what exactly is causing this

If you have any insight we'd love to hear it from you; let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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