Farm Belt and Rust Belt purple metros are experiencing the weakest growth

The 10 purple metro areas with the strongest (left) and weakest (right) job growth

Note: Percent change in seasonally adjusted total nonfarm employment, January 2025-September 2026 (September preliminary). Purple metros are those with a 2024 presidential vote margin within 3 points.
Source: BLS SAE and Dave Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.