According to a recent NY Times article, what is coming to be known as "The Great Recession" is hitting some areas harder than others and in some ways, increasing inequality in the US. This can be seen in this interactive map of the US, which shows each regions unemployment rate. The hardest hit areas, with unemployment rates 20% or over, are shown in the deepest shade of red and are concentrated largely on the West coast, Michigan, and some parts of the South. The map also indicates that a band, stretching from the Dakotas down to Texas and shaded in the lightest colors, appears to be comparatively well-off with unemployment rates lower than 5%. As this article mentions, however, even these states are beginning to be hurt by the recession as oil and crop prices decrease.