October jobless rates down over the year in 231 of 387 metro areas; payroll jobs up in 311

[mahatmakanejeeves]

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
October jobless rates down over the year in 231 of 387 metro areas; payroll jobs up in 311

Economic News Release USDL-16-2230

Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment Summary

For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Technical information:
Employment: [phone] * [email protected] * www.bls.gov/sae
Unemployment: [phone] * [email protected] * www.bls.gov/lau

Media contact: [phone] * [email protected]


METROPOLITAN AREA EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT -- OCTOBER 2016


Unemployment rates were lower in October than a year earlier in 231 of the 387 metropolitan areas, higher in 127 areas, and unchanged in 29 areas, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Thirty areas had jobless rates of less than 3.0 percent and three areas had rates of at least 10.0 percent. Nonfarm payroll employment increased over the year in 311 metropolitan areas, decreased in 68 areas, and was unchanged in 8 areas. The national unemployment rate in October was 4.7 percent, not seasonally adjusted, and was little different from that of October 2015.

Metropolitan Area Unemployment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

In October, the lowest unemployment rate was in Fargo, N.D.-Minn., 1.8 percent. El Centro, Calif., and Yuma, Ariz., had the highest unemployment rates, 22.0 percent and 19.4 percent, respectively. A total of 198 areas had October jobless rates below the U.S. rate of 4.7 percent, 173 areas had rates above it, and 16 areas had rates equal to that of the nation. (See table 1.)

Yuma, Ariz., had the largest over-the-year unemployment rate decrease in October (-2.9 percentage points). Twenty-three other areas had rate declines of at least 1.0 percentage point. The largest over-the-year rate increase occurred in Erie, Pa. (+1.8 percentage points).

Of the 51 metropolitan areas with a 2010 Census population of 1 million or more, Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, Mass.-N.H., had the lowest unemployment rate in October, 2.6 percent. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif., had the highest rate among the large areas, 6.1 percent. Thirty-five large areas had over-the-year unemployment rate decreases, 14 had increases, and 2 had no change. The largest rate decrease occurred in Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, Mass.-N.H. (-1.5 percentage points). The largest over-the-year rate increase was in Cleveland-Elyria, Ohio (+1.2 percentage points).


_____________
The Regional and State Employment and Unemployment news release for November is scheduled to be released on Friday, December 16, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. (EST). The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for November is scheduled to be released on Thursday, December 29, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. (EST).


[center]Facilities for Sensory Impaired[/center]

Information from this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: [phone], Federal Relay Services: 1-800-877-8339.