From Flowing data (via Big Picture Blog) comes a one minute video with a time-lapsed color coded map of the US highlighting trends in unemployment rates from 1990 – 2016:

Questions for students:

• How would you describe the relationship between the colors on the map and the unemployment rate? Which color denotes low unemployment? Which color signals high unemployment?
• Are their patterns that you notice on how unemployment rates vary based on geography?
• Watch for a second time and see if you can pinpoint the years when financial stress begins to develop.
• Focus on your state and region to see how you fare as compared to the rest of the country? What might explain this difference?
• Review the years between 2007 and 2010 and jot down what you noticed. Do the same for the 2011-2016 period. How would you describe the recovery in the job market?

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.

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