Even as Americans witness rising unemployment, foreclosure rates in three states hit hardest by the housing bust - Florida, California and Arizona - stabilized in June, offering hope that the worst of the real estate crisis is over, according to The Associated Press' monthly analysis of economic stress in more than 3,100 U.S. counties.
The latest results of AP's Economic Stress Index show foreclosure and bankruptcy rates held steady in some states. But mounting unemployment is hampering an economic recovery in some regions, especially the Southeast and industrial Midwest.
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The AP calculates a score from 1 to 100 based on each county's unemployment, foreclosure and bankruptcy rates. The higher the score, the higher the economic stress.
The average county's Economic Stress Index score rose to 10.6 in June, up from 10 in May, mainly because of rising unemployment.
In June 2008, the average county's stress score was 6.7. The pain was lower then because the economy was still expanding.
Under a rough rule of thumb, a county is considered stressed when its score is at or above 11. In June, 41 percent of the counties scored 11 or higher, up from 36 percent in May and 34 percent in April. The latest reading was slightly worse than for February and March, when nearly 40 percent of counties met or exceeded that threshold.
In June, foreclosure rates held steady for Arizona, California and Florida at 4.1 percent, 3.5 percent and 3.4 percent, respectively.
