Despite a national unemployment rate of 4.1 percent, some U.S. cities continue to suffer when it comes to job availability, according to a new Wallet Hub survey.
WalletHub compared 180 U.S. cities and evaluated them based on 26 different measures of job market strength, including job security, satisfaction and access to viable benefits.
The following cities, in descending order, were deemed the worst in the nation for finding a job:
10. Mobile, Ala.
This city's seaport helped lure shipbuilding and aerospace industries, but the unemployment rate remains at 6.9 percent, according to U.S. News & World Report. Mobile also ranks low in job market strength.
9. Montgomery, Ala.
Montgomery ranked 189 out of 200 on the Forbes Best Places for Business and Career list. Those employed in Montgomery have an average median household annual income of less than $35,000. The city has a projected annual job growth rate of only 1 percent, according to Forbes.
8. Fresno, Calif.
Despite being in centered in one of the nation's most abundant agricultural locations, Fresno has long been stricken with high unemployment rates, according to The Washington Post. That's partly due to the seasonal nature of the farming business.
7. Hialeah, Fla.
This city in Dade County has a low rate of income growth, high debt-to-income ratios and low housing affordability.
6. New Orleans
“The Big Easy” had the fourth lowest employment growth among cities studied. While tourism brings in revenue, low-paying jobs are still growing at a higher rate then jobs with higher wages.
5. Birmingham, Ala.
This city scored poorly in metrics such as family friendliness, safety and housing affordability, with one Forbes ranking placing it as the fifth most dangerous city in the U.S.
4. Columbus, Ga.
The poverty rate here remains high at 21.8 percent, while the crime rate exceeds the national average with 5,543 crimes per 100,000 residents. Meanwhile, the median annual income is $41,859, below the national median income of $55,775, according to MSN Money.
3. Newark, N.J.
They city has high crime and homicide rates, and more then 25 percent of residents live below the poverty line.
2. Detroit
This city was ranked second to last in job opportunities, last in unemployment rate and last in median annual income.
1. Shreveport, La.
The unemployment rate here is 7.3 percent, higher then the state (6.3 percent) and national rate (4.1 percent), according to MSN Money. The city also suffers from a 23.4 percent poverty rate.
