A new study shows Kokomo and Fort Wayne are among cities with the fastest-growing unemployment in America.
Work management experts Asana analyzed data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on the unemployment rate in nearly 400 metro areas across the country. Kokomo has the fastest-rising unemployment rate over the last five years, while Fort Wayne has the second-fastest.
The rate in July 2019 was compared with July 2024. Each metro area was ranked based on the most significant percentage increase over the period to reveal the spots with the fastest-rising unemployment rates.
Metro areas with the fastest-rising unemployment rates over the last five years
| Rank | Metro area | State | Unemployment rate July 2024 | Unemployment rate July 2019 | Percentage difference |
| 1 | Kokomo | Indiana | 7% | 3.9% | 79.49% |
| 2 | Fort Wayne | Indiana | 5.9% | 3.4% | 73.53% |
| 3 | Greeley | Colorado | 4.4% | 2.6% | 69.23% |
| 4 | Spartanburg | South Carolina | 5.2% | 3.1% | 67.74% |
| 5 | Boulder | Colorado | 4% | 2.4% | 66.67% |
| 6 | Columbus | Indiana | 4.3% | 2.6% | 65.38% |
| 7 | Fort Collins | Colorado | 3.8% | 2.3% | 65.22% |
| 8 | Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort | South Carolina | 4.9% | 3% | 63.33% |
| 9 | Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin | South Carolina | 4.7% | 2.9% | 62.07% |
| 10 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | California | 4.5% | 2.8% | 60.71% |
1 comment
Kokomo is plagued with growing issues. Higher property taxes, higher rent (Wildcat Creek raised rent on a 1 room apt from $850 to $1200 in 1 year), increased homelessness, and $300 hotel rooms despite a factory opening here, has squeezed many local residents here. Something has got to give. The Bubble will burst soon, and deflation is coming.