Cities battle high unemployment, growing skills gap.

• Position: Brief article - Statistical data

Despite many indications of economic health, numerous municipal economies have not fully rebounded, largely because of stalling job growth, according to a recent report from the National League of Cities. Reasons cited included the expanding needs of cities' vulnerable populations, local employer requirements that are not aligned with workforce skills, and growing unemployment rates.

The report, titled the 2013 Local Economic Conditions Survey, found that while 52 percent of survey respondents saw improvements in their cities' unemployment rates, 66 percent of city officials said unemployment continues to be a cause of economic instability, despite the national recovery from the recession.

Data from surveyed cities also shows discrepancies between the skills of the workforce and the needs of employers is becoming more of a problem--53 percent of officials reported that their workforce's lack of skills are causing lags in economic recovery, with...