Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment (Monthly) News Release

For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Wednesday, April 29, 2026		                       USDL-26-0667

Technical information: 
 Employment:    (202) 691-6559  *  sminfo@bls.gov    *  www.bls.gov/sae 
 Unemployment:  (202) 691-6392  *  lausinfo@bls.gov  *  www.bls.gov/lau 

Media contact:  (202) 691-5902  *  PressOffice@bls.gov


                  METROPOLITAN AREA EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT -- FEBRUARY 2026
                  
                  
Unemployment rates were higher in February than a year earlier in 236 of the 387 metropolitan 
areas, lower in 110 areas, and unchanged in 41 areas, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported
today. A total of 10 areas had jobless rates of less than 3.0 percent and 13 areas had rates of at
least 8.0 percent. Nonfarm payroll employment increased over the year in 8 metropolitan areas, 
decreased in 7 areas, and was essentially unchanged in 372 areas. The national unemployment rate in
February was 4.7 percent, not seasonally adjusted, up from 4.5 percent a year earlier.

This news release presents statistics from two monthly programs. The civilian labor force and 
unemployment data are based on the same concepts and definitions as those used for the national 
household survey estimates. These data pertain to people by where they reside. The employment data 
are from an establishment survey that measures nonfarm employment, hours, and earnings by industry.
These data pertain to jobs on payrolls defined by where the establishments are located. For more 
information about the concepts and statistical methodologies used by these two programs, see the
Technical Note.

Metropolitan Area Unemployment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

In February, Urban Honolulu, HI, had the lowest unemployment rate, 2.2 percent. The next lowest 
rates were in Burlington-South Burlington, VT; Kahului-Wailuku, HI; and Rapid City, SD, 2.5 percent
each. El Centro, CA, had the highest rate, 17.6 percent. A total of 218 areas had February jobless
rates below the U.S. rate of 4.7 percent, 155 areas had rates above it, and 14 areas had rates 
equal to that of the nation. (See table 1.)

The largest over-the-year unemployment rate increase in February occurred in Wildwood-The Villages,
FL (+2.5 percentage points). Forty-eight other areas had rate increases of at least 1.0 percentage
point. Asheville, NC, had the largest over-the-year rate decrease in February (-2.4 percentage 
points). Eleven other areas had rate declines of at least 1.0 percentage point.

Of the 56 metropolitan areas with a 2020 Census population of 1 million or more, Urban Honolulu, 
HI, had the lowest jobless rate in February, 2.2 percent. Fresno, CA, had the highest rate, 9.1 
percent. Thirty-nine large areas had over-the-year unemployment rate increases, 12 had decreases, 
and 5 had no change. The largest rate increases occurred in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, 
CT (+1.5 percentage points), and Jacksonville, FL (+1.4 points). The largest jobless rate decline 
occurred in Columbus, OH (-0.8 percentage point), followed by Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN, and Grand 
Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI (-0.7 point each).

Metropolitan Division Unemployment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

Thirteen of the most populous metropolitan areas are made up of 37 metropolitan divisions, which 
are essentially separately identifiable employment centers. In February, Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall,
FL, had the lowest division unemployment rate, 2.8 percent. Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia, MI, had the
highest rate among the divisions, 6.7 percent. (See table 2.)

In February, 29 metropolitan divisions had over-the-year unemployment rate increases, 5 had 
decreases, and 3 had no change. The largest increases occurred in Tacoma-Lakewood, WA; Tampa, FL;
and West Palm Beach-Boca Raton-Delray Beach, FL (+1.4 percentage points each). Six other divisions
had rate increases of at least 1.0 percentage point. The largest unemployment rate decline from 
February 2025 occurred in Lake County-Porter County-Jasper County, IN (-0.8 percentage point).

Metropolitan Area Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

In February 2026, nonfarm payroll employment increased over the year in 8 metropolitan areas, 
decreased in 7 areas, and was essentially unchanged in 372 areas. The largest over-the-year 
employment increases occurred in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (+17,400), Fresno, CA (+8,900),
and Stockton-Lodi, CA (+6,100). The largest over-the-year percentage gains in employment occurred 
in Barnstable Town, MA (+5.5 percent), Merced, CA (+3.9 percent), and Yuba City, CA (+3.8 percent).
The largest over-the-year employment decreases occurred in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, 
DC-VA-MD-WV (-119,000), Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA (-30,200), and Boston-Cambridge-Newton,
MA-NH (-27,200). The largest over-the-year percentage decreases occurred in Yuma, AZ (-5.0 
percent), Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ (-4.6 percent), and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, 
DC-VA-MD-WV (-3.5 percent). (See table 3.)

Over the year, nonfarm employment decreased in 3 metropolitan areas with a 2020 Census population 
of 1 million or more, increased in 2 areas, and was essentially unchanged in 51 areas. The 
over-the-year decreases in employment occurred in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 
(-3.5 percent), Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA (-2.4 percent), and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, 
MA-NH (-1.0 percent). Over the year, employment increased in Fresno, CA (+2.0 percent), and San 
Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (+1.5 percent). 

Metropolitan Division Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

In February, nonfarm payroll employment decreased over the year in 4 metropolitan divisions and was
essentially unchanged in 33 divisions. The over-the-year decreases in employment occurred in 
Washington, DC-MD (-63,100, or -5.5 percent), New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ (-58,300, or
-0.9 percent), Arlington-Alexandria-Reston, VA-WV (-32,000, or -2.0 percent), and 
Frederick-Gaithersburg-Bethesda, MD (-23,900, or -3.9 percent). (See table 4.)

_____________
The State Employment and Unemployment news release for March is scheduled to be released on 
Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news
release for March is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). 

Technical Note

This news release presents civilian labor force and unemployment data from the 
Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program (tables 1 and 2) for 387
metropolitan statistical areas, plus 6 areas in Puerto Rico. Estimates for 37
metropolitan divisions also are presented. Nonfarm payroll employment 
estimates from the Current Employment Statistics (CES) program (tables 3 and 4)
are provided for the same areas. State estimates were previously published in 
the State Employment and Unemployment news release and are republished in this 
news release for ease of reference. The LAUS and CES programs are both 
federal-state cooperative endeavors.

Civilian labor force and unemployment--from the LAUS program

Definitions. The civilian labor force and unemployment data are based on the
same concepts and definitions as those used for the official national estimates
obtained from the Current Population Survey (CPS), a sample survey of households
that is conducted for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) by the U.S. Census
Bureau. The LAUS program measures employed people and unemployed people on a
place-of-residence basis. The universe for each is the civilian noninstitutional
population 16 years of age and older. Employed people are those who did any
work at all for pay or profit in the reference week (typically the week including
the 12th of the month) or worked 15 hours or more without pay in a family 
business or farm, plus those not working who had a job from which they were 
temporarily absent, whether or not paid, for such reasons as labor-management 
dispute, illness, or vacation. Unemployed people are those who were not employed
during the reference week (based on the definition above), had actively looked
for a job sometime in the 4-week period ending with the reference week, and were 
currently available for work; people on layoff expecting recall need not be 
looking for work to be counted as unemployed. The civilian labor force is the
sum of employed and unemployed people. The unemployment rate is the number of 
unemployed as a percent of the civilian labor force.

Method of estimation. Estimates for states, the District of Columbia, the
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale metropolitan division, and New York City are
produced using time-series models with real-time benchmarking to national CPS
totals. Model-based estimates are also produced for the following areas and
their respective balances: the Chicago-Naperville-Schaumburg, IL Metropolitan
Division; Cleveland, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area; Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
Metropolitan Statistical Area; Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL Metropolitan Division;
and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA Metropolitan Statistical Area. Modeling improves 
the statistical basis of the estimation for these areas and provides important tools
for analysis, such as measures of errors and seasonally adjusted series. For all 
other substate areas in this news release, estimates are prepared through indirect 
estimation procedures using a building-block approach. Estimates of employed people,
which are based largely on "place of work" estimates from the CES program, are
adjusted to refer to place of residence as used in the CPS. Unemployment estimates
are aggregates of people previously employed in industries covered by state 
Unemployment Insurance (UI) laws and entrants to the labor force from the CPS. 
The substate estimates of employment and unemployment, which geographically exhaust
the entire state, are adjusted proportionally to ensure that they add to the
independently estimated model-based area totals. A detailed description of the
estimation procedures is available from BLS upon request.

Annual revisions. Civilian labor force and unemployment data shown for the prior year
reflect adjustments made at the beginning of each year, usually implemented with the
issuance of January estimates. The adjusted model-based estimates typically reflect
updated population data from the U.S. Census Bureau, any revisions in other input 
data sources, and model re-estimation. All substate estimates then are re-estimated
using updated inputs and adjusted to add to the revised model-based totals. In early
2025, implementation of synthetic intercensal population estimates for states and the 
2020-based delineations for federal statistical areas necessitated the replacement of 
substate estimates back to their series beginnings. For more information, see
www.bls.gov/lau/geography-and-data-changes-in-2025.htm.

Employment--from the CES program

Definitions. Employment data refer to people on establishment payrolls who receive pay
for any part of the pay period that includes the 12th of the month. People are counted
at their place of work rather than at their place of residence; those appearing on more
than one payroll are counted on each payroll. Industries are classified on the basis of
their principal activity in accordance with the 2022 version of the North American
Industry Classification System.

Method of estimation. CES State and Area employment data are produced using several 
estimation procedures. Where possible, these data are produced using a "weighted link 
relative" estimation technique in which a ratio of current month weighted employment to
that of the previous-month weighted employment is computed from a sample of establishments
reporting for both months. The estimates of employment for the current month are then
obtained by multiplying these ratios by the previous month’s employment estimates. The 
weighted link relative technique is utilized for data series where the sample size meets
certain statistical criteria. For some employment series, the estimates are produced
with a model that uses direct sample estimates (described above) combined with other 
regressors to compensate for smaller sample sizes.

Annual revisions. Employment estimates are adjusted annually to a complete count of jobs,
called benchmarks, derived principally from tax reports that are submitted by employers
who are covered under state unemployment insurance (UI) laws. The benchmark information
is used to adjust the monthly estimates between the new benchmark and the preceding one
and also to establish the level of employment for the new benchmark month. Thus, the
benchmarking process establishes the level of employment, and the sample is used to measure 
the month-to-month changes in the level for the subsequent months. Information on recent
benchmark revisions is available online at www.bls.gov/web/laus/benchmark.pdf.

Seasonal adjustment. Payroll employment data are seasonally adjusted for states, 
metropolitan areas, and metropolitan divisions at the total nonfarm level. For states,
data are seasonally adjusted at the supersector level as well. Revisions to historical
data for the most recent 5 years are made once a year, coincident with annual benchmark
adjustments.

Payroll employment data are seasonally adjusted concurrently, using all available estimates,
including those for the current month, to develop sample-based seasonal factors. Concurrent
sample-based factors are created every month for the current month's preliminary estimate 
as well as the previous month's final estimate.

Reliability of the estimates

The estimates presented in this news release are based on sample surveys, administrative data,
and modeling and, thus, are subject to sampling and other types of errors. Sampling error
is a measure of sampling variability--that is, variation that occurs by chance because a
sample rather than the entire population is surveyed. Survey data also are subject to
nonsampling errors, such as those which can be introduced into the data collection and 
processing operations. Estimates not directly derived from sample surveys are subject to
additional errors resulting from the specific estimation processes used. The sums of 
individual items may not always equal the totals shown in the same tables because of rounding.

Use of error measures

Civilian labor force and unemployment estimates. Measures of sampling error are not
available for metropolitan areas or metropolitan divisions. Model-based error measures
for states are available on the BLS website at www.bls.gov/lau/lastderr.htm. Measures 
of nonsampling error are not available for the areas contained in this news release. 
 
Employment estimates. Changes in metropolitan area nonfarm payroll employment are cited
in the analysis of this news release only if they have been determined to be statistically
significant at the 90-percent confidence level. Measures of sampling error for the total 
nonfarm employment series are available for metropolitan areas and metropolitan divisions 
at www.bls.gov/web/laus/790stderr.htm. Measures of sampling error for more detailed series
at the area and division level are available upon request. Measures of sampling error for
states at the supersector level and for the private service providing, goods-producing,
total private and total nonfarm levels are available on the BLS website at
www.bls.gov/web/laus/790stderr.htm. 

Area definitions

The substate area data published in this news release reflect the delineations issued by
the U.S. Office of Management and Budget on July 21, 2023. A detailed list of the geographic
definitions is available online at www.bls.gov/lau/lausmsa.htm.

Additional information

Estimates of unadjusted and seasonally adjusted civilian labor force and unemployment data
for states and seven substate areas are available in the news release State Employment and 
Unemployment. Estimates of civilian labor force and unemployment for all states, metropolitan
areas, counties, cities with a population of 25,000 or more, and other areas used in the 
administration of various federal economic assistance programs are available online at
www.bls.gov/lau/. Employment data from the CES program for states and metropolitan areas are
available on the BLS website at www.bls.gov/sae/.

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