Data Visualization: Job Losses

I was trying to find an example of data visualization with a current issue that could show the importance of this technology. I came across an interesting link titled “Data Visualization: Job Losses” by Daniel Lubetzky. http://tipstrategies.com/archive/geography-of-jobs/#map-highlights

If you click on the link, you can see an interactive video that shows the amount of job losses and gains from 2004 to present day on a map of the US. Green and red dots represent the change in amount of jobs in each location. You can either click the play button, which slowly brings you through the years, or you can move the cursor to a certain time period. You can also move the cursor over a location and it will identify the location and the amount of change in employment.

Looking at this interactive video, it gives a real sense of how much of an impact data visualization can make. When looking at data simply on white paper, you do not interpret the information the same way. The video has taken data of the number of jobs in different locations at different times. Looking at the graphs for each year really gives you a sense of how the economy is doing. In 2005, when Hurricane Katrina hit, you can see a massive amount of jobs loss. Looking at the middle of 2008, you can really start to see the number of jobs decrease as the economy really started to fall. The present day picture is the hardest to swallow. To see those huge red circles all over the US really puts into perspective the current economic situation.