We've updated our indicators on house prices, employment in the manufacturing sector, job losses, and unemployment in the top 100 metro areas nationwide. House prices continued to fall through the end of 2009 and unemployment remained high, but between October through November of 2009, employment increased. The manufacturing sector, however, continued to shrink as a share of all jobs.

The story is not the same everywhere. As our figures illustrate, trends vary considerably across metros. Here we highlight differences across geographic regions and four categories of metros identified in our earlier "double trouble" analysis.

New Metropolitan Spotlight: New Orleans

The first in our series of metropolitan spotlights focuses on the New Orleans region, showing how it's faring relative to other metros in the South and nationally. Although public funded rebuilding investments may have staved off some of the worst effects of the recession, New Orleans' future prosperity remains in question. read more

Benefits and Challenges of Health Reform Will Vary Across Metros

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed in March is projected to expand health insurance coverage to over 30 million uninsured people. Health reform will have its biggest effects in areas where large shares of the population are uninsured. Since almost two-thirds of the nation's uninsured live in the top 100 metro areas, it is important to consider possible variation in impacts of health reform across metros. read more

Building on the New Metropolitan Diversity

We take a look at declines in manufacturing employment in the 37 large metros with substantial minority and immigrant populations. In many of these metros, manufacturing jobs are being replaced by retail and service sector jobs which may not pay as well. read more