America's Worst Cities for Finding a Job

The hiring environment may be improving, but job seekers in cities that rely on unstable industries should know that they may each be competing with six, seven or eight other idle workers for one advertised job. "The cities that have continued to underperform rely on jobs from lagging industries such as manufacturing, tourism and construction," Cruickshank says. "Detroit and Las Vegas have improved from this time last year, but they continue have more unemployed individuals per open job than other large metropolitan areas."

Unemployment in Las Vegas is at 15%, almost six points above the national average. There are now nine unemployed individuals for every advertised job in Sin City, making it the nation's hardest place to find a job. Sunbelt cities like Las Vegas dominate the list of the most difficult metro areas for finding a job. Large metropolitan areas like Los Angeles, Miami and New Orleans continue to suffer as their tourism remains weak.

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1. Las Vegas, Nev.
Unemployed Individuals Per Advertised Job: 8.86

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2. Miami, Fla.
Unemployed Individuals Per Advertised Job: 8.46

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3. Riverside, Calif.
Unemployed Individuals Per Advertised Job: 7.31

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4. Detroit, Mich.
Unemployed Individuals Per Advertised Job: 7.05

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5. Los Angeles, Calif.
Unemployed Individuals Per Advertised Job: 6.27