The U.S. economy was in better condition in 2018 than it has been in decades. The job market posted its 96th consecutive month of job growth in September, the longest job creation streak in U.S. history, and the unemployment rate fell to 3.7% — its lowest point in nearly 50 years.
While approximately 80% of U.S. metropolitan areas have posted positive job growth figures for the year, some major cities have struggled. In 25 metro areas — an outsized share located in Louisiana, North Dakota, Ohio, and West Virginia — employment has fallen by more than 1.1% in 2018.
Nationwide, the sectors with the fastest job growth in 2018 were construction, mining and logging, leisure and hospitality, and professional and business services. Sectors with the slowest job growth included retail trade, financial activities, and information, and many of the cities that lost the most jobs depend heavily on these sectors.
Population decline and a stagnant economy are two of the main factors that contribute to negative employment growth, but not necessarily to higher unemployment. Cities that lost residents — often due to lack of jobs — generally saw the size of their labor force shrink as well. The size of the civilian labor force fell in approximately 80% of cities with negative job growth in 2018. However, negative job growth did not necessarily lead to higher unemployment in several of the cities as workers also left the labor force. In fact, in nine of the 25 cities with the largest declines in employment in 2018, the unemployment rate actually fell or remained the same.
To identify the cities adding (and losing) the most jobs in 2018, 24/7 Wall st. reviewed monthly metro area employment figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. We calculated the percentage change from January 2018 through October 2018, the latest month for which employment data at the metro area level is available. All figures are seasonally adjusted. January and October unemployment rates came from the BLS. We identified the industry contributing the most to job loss using employment breakdowns by sector (NAICS level 2), also from the BLS.
Click here to see the 25 cities that lost the most jobs in 2018.
25. Duluth, MN-WI
> 2018 employment change: -1,744 (-1.2%)
> Jan. 2018 employment: 140,443
> Oct. 2018 employment: 138,699
> Unemployment, Oct. 2018: 3.7%
> Weakest sector: Education and health services (-0.3% employment chg.)
[in-text-ad]
24. Eugene, OR
> 2018 employment change: -2,246 (-1.3%)
> Jan. 2018 employment: 177,750
> Oct. 2018 employment: 175,504
> Unemployment, Oct. 2018: 4.5%
> Weakest sector: Information (-7.4% employment chg.)
23. Cheyenne, WY
> 2018 employment change: -590 (-1.3%)
> Jan. 2018 employment: 45,748
> Oct. 2018 employment: 45,158
> Unemployment, Oct. 2018: 3.8%
> Weakest sector: Information (-9.1% employment chg.)
22. Grand Forks, ND-MN
> 2018 employment change: -705 (-1.3%)
> Jan. 2018 employment: 54,532
> Oct. 2018 employment: 53,827
> Unemployment, Oct. 2018: 2.8%
> Weakest sector: Government (-2.1% employment chg.)
[in-text-ad-2]
21. Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ
> 2018 employment change: -809 (-1.3%)
> Jan. 2018 employment: 62,103
> Oct. 2018 employment: 61,294
> Unemployment, Oct. 2018: 6.1%
> Weakest sector: Trade, transportation, and utilities (-3.0% employment chg.)
20. New Orleans-Metairie, LA
> 2018 employment change: -7,592 (-1.3%)
> Jan. 2018 employment: 579,519
> Oct. 2018 employment: 571,927
> Unemployment, Oct. 2018: 4.6%
> Weakest sector: Wholesale trade (-3.1% employment chg.)
[in-text-ad]
19. Wilmington, NC
> 2018 employment change: -1,849 (-1.3%)
> Jan. 2018 employment: 140,469
> Oct. 2018 employment: 138,620
> Unemployment, Oct. 2018: 3.8%
> Weakest sector: Other services (-8.0% employment chg.)
18. Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA
> 2018 employment change: -3,028 (-1.3%)
> Jan. 2018 employment: 227,743
> Oct. 2018 employment: 224,715
> Unemployment, Oct. 2018: 5.8%
> Weakest sector: Retail trade (-2.7% employment chg.)
17. Salem, OR
> 2018 employment change: -2,745 (-1.4%)
> Jan. 2018 employment: 196,156
> Oct. 2018 employment: 193,411
> Unemployment, Oct. 2018: 4.5%
> Weakest sector: N/A
[in-text-ad-2]
16. Beckley, WV
> 2018 employment change: -607 (-1.4%)
> Jan. 2018 employment: 42,870
> Oct. 2018 employment: 42,263
> Unemployment, Oct. 2018: 5.8%
> Weakest sector: N/A
15. Parkersburg-Vienna, WV
> 2018 employment change: -526 (-1.4%)
> Jan. 2018 employment: 36,391
> Oct. 2018 employment: 35,865
> Unemployment, Oct. 2018: 5.5%
> Weakest sector: N/A
[in-text-ad]
14. Charleston, WV
> 2018 employment change: -1,445 (-1.6%)
> Jan. 2018 employment: 90,757
> Oct. 2018 employment: 89,312
> Unemployment, Oct. 2018: 5.2%
> Weakest sector: Education and health services (-1.9% employment chg.)
24/7 Wall St.
13. Janesville-Beloit, WI
> 2018 employment change: -1,347 (-1.6%)
> Jan. 2018 employment: 82,867
> Oct. 2018 employment: 81,520
> Unemployment, Oct. 2018: 3.1%
> Weakest sector: Retail trade (-5.1% employment chg.)
12. Lima, OH
> 2018 employment change: -804 (-1.7%)
> Jan. 2018 employment: 46,350
> Oct. 2018 employment: 45,546
> Unemployment, Oct. 2018: 4.4%
> Weakest sector: Retail trade (-1.8% employment chg.)
[in-text-ad-2]
11. Toledo, OH
> 2018 employment change: -5,123 (-1.8%)
> Jan. 2018 employment: 288,722
> Oct. 2018 employment: 283,599
> Unemployment, Oct. 2018: 5.0%
> Weakest sector: Information (-3.4% employment chg.)
10. Casper, WY
> 2018 employment change: -756 (-2.0%)
> Jan. 2018 employment: 37,274
> Oct. 2018 employment: 36,518
> Unemployment, Oct. 2018: 4.7%
> Weakest sector: Information (-20.0% employment chg.)
[in-text-ad]
9. Baton Rouge, LA
> 2018 employment change: -8,428 (-2.1%)
> Jan. 2018 employment: 408,741
> Oct. 2018 employment: 400,313
> Unemployment, Oct. 2018: 4.4%
> Weakest sector: Retail trade (-3.9% employment chg.)
24/7 Wall St.
8. Hammond, LA
> 2018 employment change: -1,123 (-2.1%)
> Jan. 2018 employment: 53,555
> Oct. 2018 employment: 52,432
> Unemployment, Oct. 2018: 5.3%
> Weakest sector: N/A
7. Fargo, ND-MN
> 2018 employment change: -2,905 (-2.1%)
> Jan. 2018 employment: 135,824
> Oct. 2018 employment: 132,919
> Unemployment, Oct. 2018: 2.5%
> Weakest sector: N/A
[in-text-ad-2]
6. Lafayette, LA
> 2018 employment change: -4,613 (-2.3%)
> Jan. 2018 employment: 204,593
> Oct. 2018 employment: 199,980
> Unemployment, Oct. 2018: 4.9%
> Weakest sector: Information (-4.0% employment chg.)
5. Monroe, LA
> 2018 employment change: -1,972 (-2.5%)
> Jan. 2018 employment: 77,552
> Oct. 2018 employment: 75,580
> Unemployment, Oct. 2018: 5.4%
> Weakest sector: N/A
[in-text-ad]
4. Bismarck, ND
> 2018 employment change: -1,856 (-2.7%)
> Jan. 2018 employment: 67,868
> Oct. 2018 employment: 66,012
> Unemployment, Oct. 2018: 2.9%
> Weakest sector: N/A
3. Alexandria, LA
> 2018 employment change: -1,851 (-3.0%)
> Jan. 2018 employment: 62,249
> Oct. 2018 employment: 60,398
> Unemployment, Oct. 2018: 5.4%
> Weakest sector: N/A
2. Houma-Thibodaux, LA
> 2018 employment change: -2,686 (-3.1%)
> Jan. 2018 employment: 85,520
> Oct. 2018 employment: 82,834
> Unemployment, Oct. 2018: 4.9%
> Weakest sector: N/A
[in-text-ad-2]
1. Shreveport-Bossier City, LA
> 2018 employment change: -6,431 (-3.5%)
> Jan. 2018 employment: 181,680
> Oct. 2018 employment: 175,249
> Unemployment, Oct. 2018: 5.3%
> Weakest sector: Professional and business services (-1.8% employment chg.)
Get Ready To Retire (Sponsored)
Start by taking a quick retirement quiz from SmartAsset that will match you with up to 3 financial advisors that serve your area and beyond in 5 minutes, or less.
Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests.
Here’s how it works:
1. Answer SmartAsset advisor match quiz
2. Review your pre-screened matches at your leisure. Check out the advisors’ profiles.
3. Speak with advisors at no cost to you. Have an introductory call on the phone or introduction in person and choose whom to work with in the future
Have questions about retirement or personal finance? Email us at [email protected]!
By emailing your questions to 24/7 Wall St., you agree to have them published anonymously on a673b.bigscoots-temp.com.
By submitting your story, you understand and agree that we may use your story, or versions of it, in all media and platforms, including via third parties.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Latest from 24/7
Our expert who first called NVIDIA in 2009 is predicting 2025 will see a historic AI breakthrough.
You can follow him investing $500,000 of his own money on our top AI stocks for free.