Analysis

Oct. 2015 Jobless Rates Down Over the Year in 337 of 387 Metro Areas; Payroll Jobs Up in 300


Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—December 7, 2015. Unemployment rates were lower in October than a year earlier in 337 of the 387 metropolitan areas, higher in 38 areas, and unchanged in 12 areas, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Twenty-four 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 300 metropolitan areas, decreased in 78 areas, and was unchanged in 9 areas. The national unemployment rate in October was 4.8 percent, not seasonally adjusted, down from 5.5 percent a year earlier.

Metropolitan Area Unemployment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

Bismarck, N.D., and Fargo, N.D.-Minn., had the lowest unemployment rates in October, 1.8 percent each. Yuma, Ariz., and El Centro, Calif., had the highest unemployment rates, 23.2 percent and 21.8 percent, respectively. A total of 185 areas had October unemployment rates below the U.S. unemployment rate of 4.8 percent, 185 areas had rates above it, and 17 areas had rates equal to that of the nation. (See table 1.)

Atlantic City-Hammonton, N.J., had the largest over-the-year unemployment rate decrease in October (-2.5 percentage points), followed by El Centro, Calif. (-2.0 points). The largest rate increases occurred in Odessa, Texas (+1.7 percentage points), and Farmington, N.M. (+1.6 points).

Of the 51 metropolitan areas with a 2010 Census population of 1 million or more, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minn.-Wis., had the lowest unemployment rate in October, 2.9 percent. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif., had the highest jobless rate among the large areas, 6.4 percent. Forty-eight large areas had over-the-year unemployment rate decreases, two had increases, and one had no change. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, Calif., had the largest rate decrease (-1.8 percentage points), followed by Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, Mich., and Providence-Warwick, R.I.-Mass. (-1.6 points each). The jobless rate increases occurred in Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas (+0.4 percentage point), and Raleigh, N.C. (+0.3 point).

Metropolitan Division Unemployment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

Eleven of the most populous metropolitan areas are made up of 38 metropolitan divisions, which are essentially separately identifiable employment centers. In October, San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, Calif., and San Rafael, Calif., had the lowest unemployment rates among the divisions, 3.3 percent each. Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia, Mich., had the highest division rate, 7.7 percent. (See table 2.)

All 38 metropolitan divisions had over-the-year unemployment rate decreases in October. The largest decline occurred in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, Calif. (-2.1 percentage points).

Metropolitan Area Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

In October, 300 metropolitan areas had over-the-year increases in nonfarm payroll employment, 78 had decreases, and 9 had no change. The largest over-the-year employment increases occurred in New York-Newark-Jersey City, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa. (+157,100), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, Calif. (+126,300), and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas (+98,400). The largest over-the-year percentage gain in employment occurred in Provo-Orem, Utah (+5.5 percent), followed by San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif. (+5.2 percent), and Lake Charles, La. (+4.6 percent). (See table 3.)

The largest over-the-year decreases in employment occurred in Lafayette, La. (-4,300), Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, Iowa-Ill. (-3,900), and Houma-Thibodaux, La. (-2,800). The largest over-the-year percentage decreases in employment occurred in Pine Bluff, Ark. (-7.0 percent), Cape Girardeau, Mo.-Ill. (-2.9 percent), and Houma-Thibodaux, La. (-2.7 percent).

Over the year, nonfarm employment rose in all of the 51 metropolitan areas with a 2010 Census population of 1 million or more. The largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment in these large metropolitan areas occurred in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif. (+5.2 percent), followed by San Antonio-New Braunfels, Texas (+4.0 percent), and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Fla. (+3.8 percent).

Metropolitan Division Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

In October, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 34 of the 38 metropolitan divisions over the year and decreased in 4. The largest over-the-year increase in employment among the metropolitan divisions occurred in New York-Jersey City-White Plains, N.Y.-N.J. (+124,700), followed by Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, Calif. (+85,300), and Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas (+82,200). The over-the-year decreases in employment occurred in Lake County-Kenosha County, Ill.-Wis. (-3,700), Dutchess County-Putnam County, N.Y. (-2,900), Nashua, N.H.-Mass. (-1,800), and Taunton-Middleborough-Norton, Mass. (-200). (See table 4.)

The largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment among the metropolitan divisions occurred in San Rafael, Calif. (+5.6 percent), followed by San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, Calif. (+4.6 percent), and Tacoma-Lakewood, Wash. (+3.7 percent). The over-the-year percentage decreases in employment occurred in Dutchess County-Putnam County, N.Y. (-2.0 percent), Nashua, N.H.-Mass. (-1.4 percent), Lake County-Kenosha County, Ill.-Wis. (-0.9 percent), and Taunton-Middleborough-Norton, Mass. (-0.3 percent).

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The Regional and State Employment and Unemployment news release for November is scheduled to be released on Friday, December 18, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. (EST). The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for November is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, December 30, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. (EST).

Related Material:

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: www.bls.gov


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