MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin
Population: 599,164
Unemployment: 5.5 percent
Leading Industries: Financial services, Machinery
One of the most educated, able and adaptable workforces in the country, Milwaukee workers turn out Harley-Davidsons while providing its financing and insurance. There are about 100,000 college students in the city split between numerous institutions as well as six Fortune 500 firms (including Harley, Northwestern Mutual, Rockwell Automation). While workers increasingly populate the financial and service sectors, Milwaukee still has about 20 percent of its workforce involved in manufacturing, one of the highest rates in the country.