It’s election time, and the outcomes at all levels are often influenced by recent economic conditions. One particularly important economic indicator is the unemployment rate. While this is certainly not the only factor, it’s been an important one for this election cycle.

The map shows how this rate has changed, county by county, over the past twelve months. There’s no doubt that regions vary quite a bit. The national average is fairly stable, but the rate in some counties increased by more than a percentage point and in others decreased by more than a percentage point.

FRED and GeoFRED have a plethora of regional information for the United States, in particular at the level of states, counties, and MSAs (metropolitan statistical areas). You can explore your region by searching for its name or by browsing the regional data category. We also offer several handy PDFs with a poster of the economic conditions in various states. There’s plenty to look at. And, as always, more is on the way…

How this map was created: The original post referenced an interactive map from our now discontinued GeoFRED site. The revised post provides a replacement map from FRED’s new mapping tool. To create FRED maps, go to the data series page in question and look for the green “VIEW MAP” button at the top right of the graph. See this post for instructions to edit a FRED map. Only series with a green map button can be mapped.

Suggested by Christian Zimmermann.