Cincinnati-area employment expanded by 2 percent in 2014 and 2015, a meaningful increase in growth that led the area to finally exceed its pre-recession employment peak. In addition, the area's unemployment rate remains low and close to the lowest levels seen since the early 2000s. Cincinnati-area home prices have grown at an annual rate of about 5 percent in the two-year period through June 2016, with the issuance of residential building permits increasing sharply in the first five months of 2016. Finally, as is also true nationally, consumer debt levels have stabilized significantly in the two years ending in 2016:Q1.