U.S. November Jobless Rates Down over the Year in 322 of 387 Metro Areas
Jobless rates were lower in November than a year earlier in 322 of the 387 metropolitan areas, higher in 54, and unchanged in 11. Nonfarm payroll employment was up in 294 metropolitan areas over the year, down in 82, and unchanged in 11.
METROPOLITAN AREA EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT -- NOVEMBER 2015 Unemployment rates were lower in November than a year earlier in 322 of the 387 metropolitan areas, higher in 54 areas, and unchanged in 11 areas, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Twenty-six areas had jobless rates of less than 3.0 percent, and six areas had rates of at least 10.0 percent. Nonfarm payroll employment increased over the year in 294 metropolitan areas, decreased in 82 areas, and was unchanged in 11 areas. The national unemployment rate in November was 4.8 percent, not seasonally adjusted, down from 5.5 percent a year earlier. Metropolitan Area Unemployment (Not Seasonally Adjusted) Ames, Iowa, and Fargo, N.D.-Minn., had the lowest unemployment rates in November, 1.9 percent each. El Centro, Calif., and Yuma, Ariz., had the highest unemployment rates, 20.4 percent and 20.0 percent, respectively. A total of 187 areas had November jobless rates above the U.S. rate of 4.8 percent, 184 areas had rates below it, and 16 areas had rates equal to that of the nation. (See table 1.) Atlantic City-Hammonton, N.J., had the largest over-the-year unemployment rate decrease in November (-2.7 percentage points), followed by El Centro, Calif. (-2.3 points). The largest rate increases occurred in Odessa, Texas (+1.9 percentage points), and Farmington, N.M. (+1.8 points). Of the 51 metropolitan areas with a 2010 Census population of 1 million or more, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minn.-Wis., had the lowest unemployment rate in November, 2.7 percent. Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, Nev., had the highest rate among the large areas, 6.3 percent. Forty-seven large areas had over-the-year unemployment rate decreases and four had increases. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, Calif., had the largest rate decrease (-1.9 percentage points). The largest rate increase occurred in Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas (+0.6 percentage point). Metropolitan Division Unemployment (Not Seasonally Adjusted) Eleven of the most populous metropolitan areas are made up of 38 metropolitan divisions, which are essentially separately identifiable employment centers. In November, San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, Calif., and San Rafael, Calif., had the lowest unemployment rates among the divisions, 3.3 percent each. Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia, Mich., had the highest division rate, 6.2 percent. (See table 2.) In November, 35 of the metropolitan divisions had over-the-year unemployment rate decreases and 3 had increases. The largest declines occurred in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, Calif. (-2.2 percentage points), and Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia, Mich. (-2.0 points). The largest over-the-year increase occurred in Elgin, Ill. (+0.2 percentage point). Metropolitan Area Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted) In November, 294 metropolitan areas had over-the-year increases in nonfarm payroll employment, 82 had decreases, and 11 had no change. The largest over-the-year employment increases occurred in New York-Newark-Jersey City, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa. (+167,000), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, Calif. (+112,200), and Dallas-Fort Worth- Arlington, Texas (+101,200). The largest over-the-year percentage gain in employment occurred in Provo-Orem, Utah (+5.2 percent), followed by San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif. (+5.1 percent), and Idaho Falls, Idaho (+5.0 percent). (See table 3.) The largest over-the-year decreases in employment occurred in Lafayette, La. (-5,100), Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, Iowa-Ill. (-3,200), and Houma-Thibodaux, La. (-2,800). The largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment occurred in Pine Bluff, Ark. (-7.2 percent), followed by Cape Girardeau, Mo.-Ill., and Williamsport, Pa. (-3.5 percent each), and Houma-Thibodaux, La. (-2.7 percent). Over the year, nonfarm employment rose in 50 of the 51 metropolitan areas with a 2010 Census population of 1 million or more and decreased in New Orleans-Metairie, La. (-0.3 percent). The largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment in these large metropolitan areas occurred in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif. (+5.1 percent), followed by Austin-Round Rock, Texas (+3.9 percent), and San Antonio-New Braunfels, Texas (+3.7 percent). Metropolitan Division Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted) In November, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 34 of the 38 metropolitan divisions over the year and decreased in 4. The largest over-the-year increase in employment among the metropolitan divisions occurred in New York-Jersey City-White Plains, N.Y.-N.J. (+136,100), followed by Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas (+88,900), and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, Calif. (+73,200). The largest over-the-year decreases in employment occurred in Lake County-Kenosha County, Ill.-Wis. (-6,300), Dutchess County-Putnam County, N.Y. (-3,600), and Nashua, N.H.-Mass. (-2,100). (See table 4.) The largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment among the metropolitan divisions occurred in Tacoma-Lakewood, Wash. (+4.4 percent), followed by San Francisco- Redwood City-South San Francisco, Calif. (+4.1 percent), and San Rafael, Calif. (+4.0 percent). The largest over-the-year percentage decreases in employment occurred in Dutchess County-Putnam County, N.Y. (-2.5 percent), Nashua, N.H.-Mass. (-1.7 percent), and Lake County-Kenosha County, Ill.-Wis. (-1.5 percent). _____________ The Regional and State Employment and Unemployment news release for December 2015 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, January 26, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. (EST). The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for December 2015 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, February 3, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. (EST).
- Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment Technical Note
- Table 1. Civilian labor force and unemployment by state and metropolitan area
- Table 2. Civilian labor force and unemployment by state, selected metropolitan area, and metropolitan division (1)
- Table 3. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by state and metropolitan area
- Table 4. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by state, selected metropolitan area, and metropolitan division
Categories: Trends