In January 2007, unemployment stood at 4.6 percent, with most counties in the country registering unemployment at 4 percent or lower. Fast forward nearly two years, and it's a much different picture.

There are more than 31 million people unemployed, which includes those involuntarily working part time and those who want a job but have stopped looking for one, according to the U.S. Dept. of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Click here for an interactive map called the "The Decline: The Geography of a Recession," which shows the transformation of the U.S. unemployment picture since January 2007.