AP Says Economic Analysis Shows Little Change

Washington, DC, Dec. 7, 2009--The Associated Press said its monthly analysis of economic stress in more than 3,100 U.S. counties found the economy little changed in October compared with September.

Some states saw slight improvement or stabilization, thanks to steadying foreclosure and bankruptcy rates. But the gains may be brief. Unemployment remains high, and the housing market is still weak.

The AP's Economic Stress Index calculates a score from 1 to 100 based on a county's unemployment, foreclosure and bankruptcy rates. Under a rough rule of thumb, a county is considered stressed when its score exceeds 11.

Nationwide, the average county's Stress score remained unchanged at 10.1 in October, matching September's figure. It was 10.3 in August. A year earlier, in October 2008, the average score was a much lower 6.9.

About 37 percent of the nation's 3,141 counties were deemed stressed, roughly the same proportion as the previous month.