According to US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, unemployment rates
were lower in July than a year earlier in 320 of this countries compiled
372 metropolitan areas, higher in 38 areas, and unchanged in 14
areas, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Forty-one
areas had jobless rates of at least 10.0 percent, and 34 areas had
rates of less than 5.0 percent. Over the year, 319 areas had increases
in nonfarm payroll employment, 48 had decreases, and 5 had no change.
The national unemployment rate in July was 7.7 percent, not seasonally
adjusted, down from 8.6 percent a year earlier.
Metropolitan Area Unemployment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
Yuma, Ariz., and El Centro, Calif., had the highest unemployment rates
in July, 34.5 percent and 26.1 percent, respectively. Bismarck, N.D.,
had the lowest rate, 2.5 percent. A total of 214 areas had July
unemployment rates below the U.S. figure of 7.7 percent, 152 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 July (-4.0 percentage points). Twenty-eight other areas
had rate declines of at least 2.0 percentage points, and an additional
90 areas had declines between 1.0 and 1.9 points. Yuma, Ariz., had the
largest over-the-year jobless rate increase (+2.5 percentage points).
The next largest increase was in Decatur, Ill. (+1.9 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 July, 11.0 percent, followed by Detroit-
Warren-Livonia, Mich., 10.4 percent. Oklahoma City, Okla., and
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minn.-Wis., had the lowest rates
among the large areas, 4.8 percent and 4.9 percent, respectively.
Forty-six of the large areas had over-the-year unemployment rate
decreases, two had increases, and one had no change. The largest rate
declines occurred in Las Vegas-Paradise, Nev., and Seattle-Tacoma-
Bellevue, Wash. (-2.2 percentage points each). No large area had a
jobless rate increase greater than 0.2 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 July, Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, Mich., had the
highest jobless rate among the divisions, 11.8 percent. Seattle-
Bellevue-Everett, Wash., had the lowest unemployment rate, 5.2 percent.
(See table 2.)
Twenty-six of the metropolitan divisions had over-the-year jobless
rate decreases in July, while six had increases and two had no change.
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash., had the largest rate decline from a
year earlier (-2.5 percentage points). Fourteen other divisions had
rate decreases of 1.0 percentage point or more. No division had an
unemployment rate increase greater than 0.4 percentage point.
Metropolitan Area Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
In July, 319 metropolitan areas had over-the-year increases in nonfarm
payroll employment, 48 had decreases, and 5 had no change. The largest
over-the-year employment increases occurred in New York-Northern New
Jersey-Long Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa. (+189,400), Dallas-Fort Worth-
Arlington, Texas (+111,800), and Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas
(+97,700). The largest over-the-year percentage gain in employment
occurred in Winchester, Va.-W.Va. (+7.4 percent), followed by Midland,
Texas (+6.2 percent), and Naples-Marco Island, Fla. (+5.7 percent).
(See table 3.)
The largest over-the-year decrease in employment occurred in Cleveland-
Elyria-Mentor, Ohio (-4,500), followed by Peoria, Ill. (-3,800), and
Charlottesville, Va. (-2,900). The largest over-the-year percentage
decreases in employment occurred in Decatur, Ill. (-4.0 percent),
Charlottesville, Va. (-2.9 percent), and Panama City-Lynn Haven-Panama
City Beach, Fla. (-2.8 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin,
Tenn. (+4.0 percent); followed by Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas;
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minn.-Wis.; and Tampa-St. Petersburg-
Clearwater, Fla. (+3.7 percent each). 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 July 2013 for 32
metropolitan divisions, which are essentially separately identifiable
employment centers within a metropolitan area. Twenty-eight of the 32
metropolitan divisions had over-the-year employment gains, and 4 had
losses. The largest over-the-year increase in employment within the
metropolitan divisions occurred in New York-White Plains-Wayne, N.Y.-
N.J. (+124,400), followed by Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas (+77,500), and
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, Ill. (+69,800). (See table 4.)
The largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment among the
metropolitan divisions occurred in Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas
(+3.8 percent), followed by Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas (+3.7 percent),
and Haverhill-North Andover-Amesbury, Mass.-N.H. (+3.5 percent). The
largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment occurred in
Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, Mich. (-0.5 percent).