November 2014 Jobless Rates Down Over the Year in 341 of 372 Metro Areas; Payroll Jobs Up in 313

Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—December 30, 2014. Unemployment rates were lower in November than a year earlier in 341 of the 372 metropolitan areas, higher in 27 areas, and unchanged in 4 areas, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Twelve areas had jobless rates of at least 10.0 percent and 147 areas had rates of less than 5.0 percent. Nonfarm payroll employment increased over the year in 313 metropolitan areas, decreased in 55 areas, and was unchanged in 4 areas. The national unemployment rate in November was 5.5 percent, not seasonally adjusted, down from 6.6 percent a year earlier.

Metropolitan Area Unemployment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

Yuma, Ariz., and El Centro, Calif., had the highest unemployment rates in November, 23.1 percent and 22.6 percent, respectively. Lincoln, Neb., had the lowest unemployment rate, 2.1 percent, followed by Fargo, N.D.-Minn., and Mankato-North Mankato, Minn., 2.2 percent each. A total of 200 areas had November unemployment rates below the U.S. figure of 5.5 percent, 158 areas had rates above it, and 14 areas had rates equal to that of the nation. (See table 1.)

Decatur, Ill., had the largest over-the-year unemployment rate decrease in November (-4.3 percentage points), followed by Yuma, Ariz. (-4.2 points), and Danville, Ill. (-4.1 points). Forty-four other areas had rate decreases of at least 2.0 percentage points. Alexandria, La., had the largest over-the-year jobless rate increase (+1.6 percentage points).

Of the 49 metropolitan areas with a Census 2000 population of 1 million or more, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif., had the highest unemployment rate in November, 8.0 percent. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minn.-Wis., had the lowest jobless rate among the large areas, 3.0 percent. Forty-eight of the large areas had over-the-year unemployment rate decreases, while New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, La., had the only rate increase (+1.4 percentage points). The largest rate decline occurred in Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, Ill.-Ind.-Wis. (-2.4 percentage points), followed by Cincinnati-Middletown, Ohio-Ky.-Ind.; Columbus, Ohio; and Providence-Fall River-Warwick, R.I.-Mass. (-2.2 points each).

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 November, Lawrence-Methuen-Salem, Mass.-N.H., had the highest unemployment rate among the divisions, 8.2 percent. Nashua, N.H.-Mass., had the lowest division rate, 4.0 percent. (See table 2.)

Thirty-three of the metropolitan divisions had over-the-year unemployment rate decreases in November. The largest of the declines occurred in Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, Ill. (-2.6 percentage points). The only unemployment rate increase was in Tacoma, Wash. (+0.1 percentage point).

Metropolitan Area Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

In November, 313 metropolitan areas had over-the-year increases in nonfarm payroll employment, 55 had decreases, and 4 had no change. The largest over-the-year employment increases occurred in Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas (+125,300), Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas (+111,500), and New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa. (+107,900). The largest over-the-year percentage gain in employment occurred in Midland, Texas (+6.2 percent), followed by Odessa, Texas (+4.7 percent), and Elkhart-Goshen, Ind. (+4.6 percent). (See table 3.)

The largest over-the-year decreases in employment occurred in Atlantic City-Hammonton, N.J. (-8,600), and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pa.-N.J.-Del.-Md. (-4,800). The largest over-the-year percentage decreases in employment occurred in Atlantic City-Hammonton, N.J. (-6.4 percent), Ocean City, N.J. (-3.9 percent), and Steubenville-Weirton, Ohio-W.Va. (-2.9 percent).

Over the year, nonfarm employment rose in 37 of the 38 metropolitan areas with annual average employment levels above 750,000 in 2013. The largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment in these large metropolitan areas occurred in Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas (+4.4 percent), followed by Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Fla. (+4.3 percent), and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif. (+3.8 percent). The only over-the-year percentage decrease in employment occurred in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pa.-N.J.-Del.-Md. (-0.2 percent).

Metropolitan Division Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

Nonfarm payroll employment data were available in November 2014 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. The largest over-the-year increase in employment among the metropolitan divisions occurred in New York-White Plains-Wayne, N.Y.-N.J. (+88,700), followed by Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas (+87,700), and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, Calif. (+60,000). The over-the-year decrease in employment occurred in Philadelphia, Pa. (-16,700).

The largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment among the metropolitan divisions occurred in Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas (+4.0 percent), followed by Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach-Deerfield Beach, Fla., and Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, Fla. (+3.7 percent each). The over-the-year percentage decrease in employment occurred in Philadelphia, Pa. (-0.9 percent).

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The Regional and State Employment and Unemployment news release for December 2014 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, January 27, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. (EST). The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for December 2014 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, February 4, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. (EST).