Previous
Here are five large metro areas with the lowest unemployment rates and where unemployment is down at least half a percentage point over last year:
Norfolk, Va., best known for the Norfolk Naval Base, the biggest employer within 50 miles, shows its love for all things nautical every year at the annual weekend-long Harborfest celebration, featuring this 'parade of sails,' seen June 10. (Steve Helber / AP / File)
2. Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, Va.: 7.0% unemployment
OK, 7 percent unemployment is only "good" compared with just about everywhere else in America. But it's good enough to put this area near the top of the job-market pack. The catch: Perched along beautiful coastal scenery, the metro area stretching from Norfolk to Newport News has an economy built heavily on the defense sector.
That's been a stabilizing force throughout the recession and its aftermath, as Navy bases and defense contractors work to help US forces deploy overseas. But looking forward, a pullback from Afghanistan and tighter federal budgets (including for the military) could put a squeeze on this region's job market.
These comments are not screened before publication. Constructive debate about the above story is welcome, but personal attacks are not. Please do not post comments that are commercial in nature or that violate any copyright[s]. Comments that we regard as obscene, defamatory, or intended to incite violence will be removed. If you find a comment offensive, you may flag it.