Please rank Ohio cities

[Buckeye in SC]

Originally Posted by Beavercreek33

The U.S. went through two recession from 2000-2009. It wasn't pleasant. Unemployment rates say something I guess, and right now North Carolina is being hit really hard. Ohio's unemployment rate is nothing to write home about either, but Ohio's is 10.2% while NC is at 10.8%, and South Carolina is at 11.5%.

North Carolina, esp Charlotte was so soley based on the banking industry that it is literally slautering the city. The banks aren't doing good as we all know.

I am suprised sometimes though, South Carolina has always had a higher unemployment rate. Why is that? What is their economy based on that is hurting?

Current Unemployment Rates for States and Historical Highs/Lows

There's various reason, but I'll offer up a couple: first off, South Carolina is very dependant - in particular the coastal areas on tourism, and as the US economy is in recession, people aren't traveling to Myrtle Beach, Charleston or HHI or some of the smaller beaches as much. Horry Co. (Myrtle Beach) unemployment rate I believe is approaching 15% right now.

Second, Charleston is I believe the 3rd largest port city on the east coast, well w/the global economy in the crapper right now, shipping goods is way down, hence, the ports business is way down causing less workers needed.

Another reason is there still are a lot of areas in the state - especially rural - that seem to be stuck about 40 years in the past. In some ways, its similar to areas of Ohio who just won't give up that manufacturing mentality, except here it's the textile industry that was once huge.

Finally, a lot of it has to due w/people like myself who migrate to the state. Since 1990, the state population has grown from 3.4 million to 4.4 million - a 28% increase - meaning that just to keep up w/the growth, the state has had to generate close to a 1/2 million new jobs taking into account that roughly half that increase is due to 'half-backers' who retire in the Carolinas and children under the working age. Compare that to Ohio when even going back to 1970 when the population was 10.6 million, it hasn't even grown 10% to today where it stands at nearly 11.5 million - which is essentially natural growth due to births, not b/c people migrating in is exceeding people migrating out.

If you look at the 3 major metros here also, they are all pretty much in line w/the national average as Columbia, Charleston & Greenville-Spartanburg are all around 9% unemployment rate currently. And as you noted, Charlotte has really gotten pounded the past 9 months due to B of A struggles and Wachovia getting bought out by Wells Fargo, and the SC areas of the metro (Rock Hill, York, Ft. Mill) have been hurt due to that.