DETROIT (Michigan News Source) – The city of Detroit has had the highest average unemployment rate from 2020 through 2024 among the largest 50 cities in the U.S.

That’s according to data released from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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The city of Detroit’s average annual unemployment rate in 2020 was 21.5%, due to the COVID-19 lockdown that closed many businesses. The second highest city that year was Las Vegas at 14.8%.

In 2021, the unemployment rate in Detroit dropped to 12.7%. The next closest city was New York at 10.1%. Detroit and New York were the only cities that year to average double figures percentages in unemployment.

Detroit’s unemployment rate was 7.9% in 2022. New York City’s unemployment rate for 2022 was 5.7%, making it the second highest in the country behind Detroit.

The city of Detroit’s unemployment rate was 7.2% in 2023. Unemployment rates can fluctuate month-to-month. For example, in April of 2023, Detroit’s unemployment rate was 4.25%, which the city said was the lowest month in 33 years. The previous low month was 5.4% in April 2000.