These 2 Michigan Cities Have the Highest Jobless Rates in America

A new study to determine the Best and Worst-Run Cities in America has uncovered some disturbing data about two Michigan cities in particular.

The WalletHub study looked at a variety of criteria for 148 of the biggest cities in the United States, including their financial stability, infrastructure, pollution levels, education, health and safety. The local economies were a big factor as well.

SEE ALSO: America Picks This Michigan City As the Worst Place to Live or Visit

Beneath each of those subheadings were other categories that helped determine a ranking for each city. Among the items that figured into each city's economy were its housing values, median income, and unemployment rates - and that last one's where Michigan comes into play.

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According to this study, not only is Michigan home to the city with the highest unemployment rate in America - we've got the top two.

Where Is the Highest Unemployment in America?

Among the U.S. cities that WalletHub considered, none had an unemployment rate higher than Flint, Michigan.

According to the hunger and poverty relief organization Family-to-Family, a whopping 52.5% of Flint residents are unemployed. This includes residents whose unemployment benefits have been exhausted or those who have simply given up looking for work.

SEE ALSO: These Are the 11 Most Dangerous Small Cities in Michigan

Why is unemployment in Flint so bad? SquareUp says it all in a nutshell:

When GM started closing plants in Flint in the mid-1980s, unemployment skyrocketed. As crime and drug use went up, more people left town, draining the city’s tax base. And after years of missteps and questionable decisions by the local government, there was the water crisis.

But Flint's got company. Michigan is also home to the second-highest unemployment rate in America.

Detroit's Unemployment Rate Is Second-Worst in the Nation

While the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis reports Detroit's unemployment rate at around 3.5%, but that only counts those people who are still actively looking for work. Community activists say when you factor in those who have given up trying to find a job and those who have a part-time job but need more hours, the actual percentage is much higher - probably nearer 20%, even in the best of times.

Detroit, like Flint, has suffered job losses over the years as the automotive industry has shifted work away from the city.

Oh, and if you're curious how Flint and Detroit fared on the overall study of the nation's best and worst run cities? Flint landed at 5th-worst run, while Detroit was at #9.