Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—May 31, 2012. Unemployment rates were lower in April than a year earlier in 342 of the 372 metropolitan areas, higher in 25 areas, and unchanged in 5 areas, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Ten areas recorded jobless rates of at least 15.0 percent, while 32 areas registered rates of less than 5.0 percent. Two hundred forty-six metropolitan areas reported over-the-year increases in nonfarm payroll employment, 115 reported decreases, and 11 had no change. The national unemployment rate in April was 7.7 percent, not seasonally adjusted, down from 8.7 percent a year earlier.
Metropolitan Area Unemployment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
In April, 41 metropolitan areas reported jobless rates of at least 10.0 percent, down from 79 areas a year earlier, while 163 areas posted rates below 7.0 percent, up from 100 areas in April of last year. El Centro, Calif., and Yuma, Ariz., recorded the highest unemployment rates in April, 26.8 and 26.0 percent, respectively.
The remaining eight areas with jobless rates of at least 15.0 percent were all located in California. Bismarck, N.D., registered the lowest unemployment rate, 2.8 percent, followed by Fargo, N.D.-Minn., and Lincoln, Neb., 3.3 percent each. A total of 214 areas recorded April unemployment rates below the U.S. figure of 7.7 percent, 149 areas reported rates above it, and 9 areas had rates equal to that of the nation. (See table 1.)
The largest over-the-year unemployment rate decreases in April were registered in Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Mich., and El Centro, Calif. (-2.4 percentage points each).
An additional 15 areas had decreases of 2.0 percentage points or more. Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, Wash., reported the only jobless rate increase greater than 1.0 percentage point (+1.4 points).
Among the 49 metropolitan areas with a Census 2000 population of 1million or more, the highest unemployment rates in April were registered in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif., 11.7 percent, and Las Vegas-Paradise, Nev., 11.6 percent. Three additional large areas posted rates of 10.0 percent or more. The lowest jobless rate among the large areas was recorded in Oklahoma City, Okla., 4.0 percent. Forty-six of the large areas reported over-the-year unemployment rate decreases, while three areas registered increases.
Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Mich., experienced the largest unemployment rate decline from April 2011 (-2.4 percentage points), followed by Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, Fla. (-2.3 points). Three other large areas reported rate decreases of at least 2.0 percentage points, and 23 additional areas had decreases of at least 1.0 point. The largest over-the-year rate increase was recorded in Buffalo-Niagara Falls, N.Y. (+0.7 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 2012, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, Calif., registered the highest jobless rate among the divisions, 11.0 percent. Framingham, Mass., reported the lowest division rate, 4.4 percent. (See table 2.)
Thirty of the metropolitan divisions recorded over-the-year jobless rate decreases in April, while four registered increases. Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, Fla., posted the largest rate decline from a year earlier (-3.2 percentage points). Two other divisions reported rate decreases of at least 2.0 percentage points, and an additional 14 divisions had decreases of at least 1.0 point. No division experienced an unemployment rate increase greater than 0.5 percentage point.
In 5 of the 11 metropolitan areas that contain divisions, the ranges between the highest and lowest division jobless rates were 2.0 percentage points or more in April. Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Mass.-N.H., recorded the largest rate difference among its divisions, 5.3 percentage points (Lawrence-Methuen-Salem, Mass.-N.H., 9.7 percent, compared with Framingham, Mass., 4.4 percent).
Metropolitan Area Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
In April, 246 metropolitan areas reported over-the-year increases in nonfarm payroll employment, 115 reported decreases, and 11 had no change. The largest over-the-year employment increase occurred in New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa. (+85,000), followed by Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas (+81,200), Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas (+52,000), and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, Calif. (+51,900). The largest over-the-year percentage gain in employment was reported in Columbus, Ind. (+11.7 percent), followed by Lafayette, La. (+10.3 percent), Odessa, Texas (+9.8 percent), and Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, Va. (+7.4 percent). (See table 3.)
The largest over-the-year decreases in employment occurred in Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, Ohio (-7,900), and Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, Wis. (-7,800). The largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment was reported in Dalton, Ga. (-6.4 percent), followed by Ithaca, N.Y. (-5.6 percent), and Fort Smith, Ark.-Okla. (-4.8 percent).
Among the 37 metropolitan areas with annual average employment levels above 750,000 in 2011, nonfarm employment rose over the year in 33 areas, decreased in 3, and was unchanged in 1. The largest over-the-year percentage increases in employment in these large metropolitan areas were posted in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif. (+3.3 percent), and Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas (+3.1 percent). The largest over-the-year percentage decreases in employment occurred in Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, Wis. (-1.0 percent), and Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, Ohio (-0.8 percent).
Metropolitan Division Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
Nonfarm payroll employment data were available in April 2012 for 32 metropolitan divisions, which are essentially separately identifiable employment centers within a metropolitan area. Twenty-six of the 32 metropolitan divisions reported over-the-year employment gains, while 6 reported losses. The largest over-the-year increases in the metropolitan divisions occurred in New York-White Plains-Wayne, N.Y.-N.J. (+70,700), Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, Ill. (+36,100), and Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas (+35,700). The largest over-the-year decrease in the metropolitan divisions was in Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, Mich. (-3,800). (See table 4.)
The largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment among the metropolitan divisions was reported in Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, Mich. (+2.8 percent), followed by San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, Calif. (+2.7 percent), Peabody, Mass. (+2.4 percent), Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash. (+2.2 percent), and Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas (+1.9 percent). The largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment occurred in Nashua, N.H.-Mass. (-2.2 percent).
- 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
Source: bls.gov
