June 2013 Jobless Rates Down Over the Year in 272 of 372 Metro Areas; Payroll Jobs Up in 282

Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—July 30, 2013. Unemployment rates were lower in June than a year earlier in 272 of the 372 metropolitan areas, higher in 73 areas, and unchanged in 27 areas, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Fifty-one areas had jobless rates of at least 10.0 percent, and 26 areas had rates of less than 5.0 percent. Two hundred eighty-two metropolitan areas had over-the-year increases in nonfarm payroll employment, 79 had decreases, and 11 had no change. The national unemployment rate in June was 7.8 percent, not seasonally adjusted, down from 8.4 percent a year earlier.

Metropolitan Area Unemployment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

Yuma, Ariz., and El Centro, Calif., had the highest unemployment rates in June, 31.8 percent and 23.6 percent, respectively. Bismarck, N.D., had the lowest rate, 2.8 percent. A total of 207 areas had June unemployment rates below the U.S. figure of 7.8 percent, 158 areas had rates above it, and 7 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 June (-5.4 percentage points). Twenty-four other areas had rate declines of at least 2.0 percentage points, and an additional 59 areas had declines between 1.0 and 1.9 points. Yuma, Ariz., had the largest over-the-year jobless rate increase (+3.4 percentage points). The next largest increase was in Decatur, Ill. (+1.6 percentage points).

Of the 49 metropolitan areas with a Census 2000 population of 1 million or more, Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Mich., had the highest unemployment rate in June, 10.3 percent. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minn.-Wis., had the lowest jobless rate among the large areas, 5.1 percent. Thirty-seven of the large areas had over-the-year unemployment rate decreases, eight had increases, and four had no change. The largest unemployment rate decline occurred in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif. (-2.5 percentage points). Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, Ill.-Ind.-Wis., had the largest over-the-year jobless rate increase for a large area (+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 June, Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, Mich., had the highest jobless rate among the divisions, 11.7 percent. Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash., had the lowest unemployment rate, 5.3 percent. (See table 2.)

Twenty-three of the metropolitan divisions had over-the-year jobless rate decreases in June, while 11 had increases. Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash., had the largest rate decline from a year earlier (-2.3 percentage points). Seven other divisions had rate decreases of 1.0 percentage point or more. Gary, Ind., had the largest unemployment rate increase from a year earlier (+0.9 percentage point).

Metropolitan Area Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

In June, 282 metropolitan areas had over-the-year increases in nonfarm payroll employment, 79 had decreases, and 11 had no change. The largest over-the-year employment increases occurred in New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa. (+144,800), Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas (+99,000), and Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas (+97,700). The largest over-the-year percentage gain in employment occurred in Midland, Texas (+6.4 percent), followed by Santa Cruz-Watsonville, Calif. (+6.3 percent), and Winchester, Va.-W.Va. (+5.6 percent). (See table 3.)

The largest over-the-year decrease in employment occurred in Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, Ohio (-5,700), followed by Atlantic City-Hammonton, N.J. (-5,000), and Springfield, Mass.-Conn. (-4,500). The largest over-the-year percentage decreases in employment occurred in Decatur, Ill. (-4.3 percent), Ocean City, N.J. (-3.9 percent), and Atlantic City-Hammonton, N.J. (-3.5 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 Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas (+3.6 percent), followed by Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, Texas, and Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, Tenn. (+3.5 percent each).

The only large area that had an over-the-year percentage decrease in employment was Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, Ohio (-0.6 percent).

Metropolitan Division Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

Nonfarm payroll employment data were available in June 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, 3 had losses, and 1 had no change. The largest over-the-year increase in employment within the metropolitan divisions occurred in New York-White Plains-Wayne, N.Y.-N.J. (+96,200), followed by Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas (+62,900), and Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, Ill. (+60,700). The largest over-the-year decreases in employment within the metropolitan divisions occurred in Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, Mich. (-6,700), and Gary, Ind. (-3,800). (See table 4.)

The largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment among the metropolitan divisions occurred in Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas (+4.0 percent), followed by Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, Md., and Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas (+3.0 percent each). The largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment occurred in Gary, Ind. (-1.4 percent).

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The Regional and State Employment and Unemployment news release for July is scheduled to be released on Monday, August 19, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT). The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for July is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, August 28, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).

Current Employment Statistics (CES) Data Corrections |

This news release contains corrections to previously released employment data in tables 3 and 4. A complete list of corrections in this news release and in the CES (state and area) database can be found at www.bls.gov/bls/errata/sae_errata.htm.