Computer maps dramatically show economic meltdown

According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are more than 31 million people currently unemployed, including those involuntarily working part-time and those who want a job, but have given up trying to find one. In the face of the worst economic upheaval since the Great Depression, millions of Americans are hurting.

"The Decline: The Geography of a Recession," an animation created by labor writer LaToya Egwuekwe, vividly represents just how much. Click here to watch the deterioration of the U.S. economy. Her video, also available on YouTube, dramatically shows computer mapping of local unemployment rates beginning in January 2007, approximately one year before the start of the recession, and ending with the most recent unemployment data available.

For more information, email latoya.egwuekwe@yahoo.com.