This paper examines the economic recovery of metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) in the United States from the 2001 and 2007 financial recessions. The goal of this study is to see how employment at the industry level affects the number of months it takes MSAs to recover from financial recessions back to prerecession peak levels of unemployment. This study uses data from 86 Metropolitan Statistical Areas in 2001 and 92 Metropolitan Statistical Areas in 2007 from across the United States. The data for employment is broken down based on industries indicated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Consistent with much of the literature referred to in this study, industry employment has a lasting effect on a MSA’s ability to recover from a recession. In result of the study, I found that computer and mathematics, architecture, community and social, legal, and sales occupations all have a positive effect on the economic recovery of metropolitan statistical areas.