Employment is forecasted to grow about 3% in these hard-hit metropolitan areas this year.
America's Comeback Cities for 2011
Hundreds of cities across the country were hammered by the recession, many experiencing double-digit declines in employment, throwing thousands of their residents out of work.For some particularly hard-hit metro areas, 2011 will bring a dramatic turnaround -- new investment by businesses, growth in the number of jobs and a reblooming of hope.
Recovering all the ground they lost will take years and many of the cities are still suffering with unemployment that exceeds the national average. But these cities are enjoying a surprising and welcome upward bounce.
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| Orlando, FL. is poised for recovery this year. Photo: Thinkstock |
Population: 2,082,421
Current unemployment rate: 10.8%
Forecast job growth for 2011: 2.9%
Hard-hit during the recession, tourism is improving in central Florida, with more jobs at hotels and restaurants. Health care is growing, too. And a plan is under way to create a life science cluster of medical care and research, focusing on the needs of children and on veterans. After declining by almost 10% in the recession, employment in this tourist mecca will increase by 3% this year.
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| An auto assembly plant in Chattanooga, TN Photo: VW of America |
Population: 524,303
Current unemployment rate: 8.8%
Forecast job growth for 2011: 3.4%
The renaissance of carmaking in the U.S. will also brighten the picture on Tennessee’s eastern half. Employment in Chattanooga fell by just over 10% from its peak in 2008. But it will bounce up strongly this year. A large new Volkswagen assembly plant will employ up to 3,000, with auto parts and components makers also opening shop. Plus Amazon.com is considering Chattanooga for the location of two large warehouses that would employ a few thousand.
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| A Nissan auto plant in Nashville, TN Photo: Nissan |
Population: 1,582,264
Current unemployment rate: 8.8%
Forecast job growth for 2011: 2.8%
Home to music stars and professional athletes, the Nashville metro area will see the accounting and financial services industries add jobs this year, as well as an increase in employment at the U.S. corporate headquarters of Japanese carmaker Nissan. After plunging 7.3% during the recession, employment will climb this year by nearly 3%.
