The Miserable State of MichiCaliFlArivada

More

Here's a gallows humor game. A state-by-state report of economic pain (unemployment, credit card debt, foreclosure rate, etc) comes out, and you're looking to make some lunch money. Turn to your colleague, and say: "Before even looking at what this report measures, I will guess at least three of the top five worst states in the category." Impossible right? Out of 50? Without even knowing the statistic? Wrong. Just say: California, Florida, Michigan, Nevada, Arizona. It's that easy.

For example: Today's foreclosure rate survey is out, and - surprise!- the top four states are all in that Unfab Five.



In order, they are: Nevada, Arizona, Florida and California. Not surprising, since the worst metro areas for homes losing value are: Phoenix, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Miami and Detroit (Unfab Five representing to the max!). Other unfortunate categories are similarly held down by these states. As of June, California and Florida 8 of the top 10 worst cities for credit card debt, Nevada had the worst drop in home prices, Arizona had the worst drop in unemployment and Michigan remains the overall jobless leader with a 14 percent unemployment rate. There it is. Michicaliflarivada. Not expialidocious, in the slightest.

Jump to comments

Derek Thompson is a senior editor at The Atlantic, where he oversees business coverage for TheAtlantic.com. More

Thompson has written for Slate, BusinessWeek, and the Daily Beast. He has also appeared as a guest on radio and television networks, including NPR, the BBC, CNBC, and MSNBC.

Get Today's Top Stories in Your Inbox (preview)

Video

More Video
Here's What Happens When You Light a Fire in Space


Elsewhere on the web

Join the Discussion

After you comment, click Post. If you’re not already logged in you will be asked to log in or register. blog comments powered by Disqus

Video

Miami: The Next Big Start-Up City?

How the city became a center for innovation

Video

Video

A Brief History of Romantic Comedies

From The Atlantic's Chris Orr

Video

Life in 'the New Arctic'

A moving portrait of a fading landscape

Video

Video

The Rise of New York City

A fascinating look at Manhattan in the 1940s

Video

What Is Methane Hydrate?

"Flaming ice" is a vast natural energy source

Video

NASA's Time-Lapse of the Sun

Now with epic dubstep music

Video

Shaken Not Tuned: Cocktail Experiments

Can a tuning fork improve a cocktail?

Video

Video

Is He Cheating? A 1950s Guide

'That little blonde secretary from the office?’

Video

New Yorkers: Vintage Vacuum-Tube Amps

Risking electric shock to restore old amplifiers

Video

The DIY Piano-Bicycle

Everybody needs a hobby

Video

What Does It Take to Make Real Craft Gin?

Tour the Green Hat Gin distillery

Video

What Straights Can Learn From Same-Sex Couples

New insight from decades of research

Video

The End of the Mall Rat

A tribute to that pillar of teen culture

Video

The Wonderful World of Capitalism

An adorable 1950s cartoon

Video

New Yorkers: Miss New York USA

An unconventional beauty queen.

Writers

Up
Down

More in Business

In Focus

Protests Spread Across Brazil