Recovery remained uneven across counties in 2016: Average, minimum, and maximum unemployment rates for quintiles of U.S. counties ranked by unemployment rates
| Minimum | Average | Maximum | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | 1.7% | 3.2% | 3.9% |
| Second | 3.9% | 4.3% | 4.7% |
| Middle | 4.7% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| Fourth | 5.6% | 6.1% | 6.8% |
| Fifth | 6.8% | 9.1% | 23.5% |
Note: Counties are ranked by 2016 unemployment rates and divided into five equal fifths.
Source: Author’s analysis of data from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)