April Jobless Rates Down Over the Year in 276 of 372 Metro Areas; Payroll Jobs Up in 274

Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—May 29, 2013. Unemployment rates were lower in April than a year earlier in 276 of the 372 metropolitan areas, higher in 78 areas, and unchanged in 18 areas, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Four areas had jobless rates of at least 15.0 percent, and 48 areas had rates of less than 5.0 percent. Two hundred seventy-four metropolitan areas had over-the-year increases in nonfarm payroll employment, 88 had decreases, and 10 had no change. The national unemployment rate in April was 7.1 percent, not seasonally adjusted, down from 7.7 percent a year earlier.

Metropolitan Area Unemployment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

Yuma, Ariz., and El Centro, Calif., had the highest unemployment rates in April, at 30.3 percent and 24.0 percent, respectively. Midland, Texas, had the lowest unemployment rate, 3.0 percent. A total of 213 areas had April unemployment rates below the U.S. figure of 7.1 percent, 153 areas had rates above it, and 6 areas had rates equal to that of the nation. (See table 1.)

El Centro, Calif., had the largest over-the-year unemployment rate decrease in April (-3.9 percentage points). Seventeen other areas had rate declines of at least 2.0 percentage points, and an additional 66 areas had declines of at least 1.0 point. Yuma, Ariz., had the largest over-the-year jobless rate increase (+4.0 percentage points). The next largest increases were in Decatur, Ill., and Eau Claire, Wis. (+0.8 percentage point each).

Of the 49 metropolitan areas with a Census 2000 population of 1 million or more, Las Vegas-Paradise, Nev., and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif., had the highest unemployment rates in April, 9.6 percent each. Oklahoma City, Okla., had the lowest jobless rate among the large areas, 4.1 percent. Forty-two of the large areas had over-the-year unemployment rate decreases, four had increases, and three had no change. The largest unemployment rate declines occurred in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif., and Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville, Calif. (-2.0 percentage points each). Memphis, Tenn.-Miss.-Ark., had the largest over-the-year jobless rate increase in a large area (+0.5 percentage point).

Metropolitan Division Unemployment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

Eleven of the most populous metropolitan areas are made up of 34 metropolitan divisions, which are essentially separately identifiable employment centers. In April, Lawrence-Methuen-Salem, Mass.-N.H., had the highest jobless rate among the divisions, 10.6 percent. Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash., had the lowest jobless rate, 4.5 percent. (See table 2.)

Twenty-six of the metropolitan divisions had over-the-year jobless rate decreases in April, while five had increases and three had no change. Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash., had the largest rate decline from a year earlier (-2.1 percentage points). Seven other divisions had rate decreases of 1.0 percentage point or more. Gary, Ind., had the largest unemployment rate increase from a year earlier (+0.6 percentage point).

Metropolitan Area Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

In April, 274 metropolitan areas had over-the-year increases in nonfarm payroll employment, 88 had decreases, and 10 had no change. The largest over-the-year employment increases occurred in New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa. (+160,100), Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas (+111,200), Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas (+104,900), and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, Calif.(+103,400). The largest over-the-year percentage gain in employment occurred in Midland, Texas (+6.9 percent), followed by Odessa, Texas (+6.1 percent), and Napa, Calif. (+6.0 percent). (See table 3.)

The largest over-the-year decrease in employment occurred in Atlantic City-Hammonton, N.J. (-4,700), followed by Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, Ohio (-4,300), and Shreveport-Bossier City, La. (-3,100). The largest over-the-year percentage decreases in employment occurred in Decatur, Ill. (-5.4 percent), and Atlantic City-Hammonton, N.J. (-3.4 percent).

Over the year, nonfarm employment rose in 36 of the 37 metropolitan areas with annual average employment levels above 750,000 in 2012. The largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment in these large metropolitan areas occurred in Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas (+4.2 percent), followed by Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, Tenn. (+3.9 percent), and Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, Texas (+3.8 percent). The only large area that had an over-the-year percentage decrease in employment was Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, Ohio (-0.4 percent).

Metropolitan Division Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

Nonfarm payroll employment data were available in April 2013 for 32 metropolitan divisions, which are essentially separately identifiable employment centers within a metropolitan area. Thirty-one of the 32 metropolitan divisions had over-the-year employment gains and 1 had a loss. The largest over-the-year increase in employment within the metropolitan divisions occurred in New York-White Plains-Wayne, N.Y.-N.J. (+98,600), followed by Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, Calif. (+76,500), and Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas (+67,700). The only over-the-year decrease in employment within the metropolitan divisions occurred in Lake County-Kenosha County, Ill.-Wis. (-900). (See table 4.)

The largest over-the-year percentage increases in employment among the metropolitan divisions occurred in Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas (+4.2 percent), and Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas (+3.2 percent). The only over-the-year percentage decrease in employment occurred in Lake County-Kenosha County, Ill.-Wis. (-0.2 percent).

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The Regional and State Employment and Unemployment news release for May is scheduled to be released on Friday, June 21, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT). The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for May is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, July 2, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).

Source: bls.gov