Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment Summary

For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Wednesday, July 29, 2026                                   USDL-26-1269

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 - JUNE 2026


Unemployment rates were higher in June than a year earlier in 184 of the 387 metropolitan
areas, lower in 178 areas, and unchanged in 25 areas, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
reported today. A total of 15 areas had jobless rates of less than 3.0 percent and 7 areas had
rates of at least 8.0 percent. Nonfarm payroll employment increased over the year in 15
metropolitan areas, decreased in 3 areas, and was essentially unchanged in 369 areas. The
national unemployment rate in June was 4.4 percent, not seasonally adjusted, the same as 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 June, Sioux Falls, SD-MN, had the lowest unemployment rate, 1.9 percent, followed by Rapid
City, SD, 2.0 percent. El Centro, CA, had the highest rate, 17.6 percent. A total of 226 areas
had June jobless rates below the U.S. rate of 4.4 percent, 145 areas had rates above it, and
16 areas had rates equal to that of the nation. (See table 1.)

The largest over-the-year unemployment rate increase in June occurred in Lake Havasu City-
Kingman, AZ (+1.7 percentage points), followed by Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ (+1.5 points).
Twenty-one other areas had rate increases of at least 1.0 percentage point. Kokomo, IN, had
the largest over-the-year rate decrease in June (-1.9 percentage points). Eighteen other
areas had rate decreases of at least 1.0 percentage point.

Of the 56 metropolitan areas with a 2020 Census population of 1 million or more, Raleigh-Cary,
NC, and Urban Honolulu, HI, had the lowest jobless rates in June, 3.1 percent each. Fresno,
CA, had the highest rate, 7.7 percent. Twenty-seven large areas had over-the-year unemployment
rate decreases, 26 had increases, and 3 had no change. The largest rate decline occurred in
Columbus, OH (-1.2 percentage points). The largest jobless rate increase occurred in Hartford-
West Hartford-East Hartford, CT (+1.3 percentage points). 

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 June, Rockingham County-
Strafford County, NH, had the lowest division unemployment rate, 2.5 percent. Detroit-
Dearborn-Livonia, MI, had the highest rate among the divisions, 6.5 percent. (See table 2.)

In June, 19 metropolitan divisions had over-the-year unemployment rate decreases, 17 had
increases, and 1 had no change. The largest decline occurred in Newark, NJ (-1.0 percentage
point). The largest unemployment rate increases from June 2025 occurred in Chicago-Naperville-
Schaumburg, IL; Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia, MI; and Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach-Sunrise, FL
(+0.8 percentage point each).

Metropolitan Area Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

In June 2026, nonfarm payroll employment increased over the year in 15 metropolitan areas,
decreased in 3 areas, and was essentially unchanged in 369 areas. The largest over-the-year
employment increases occurred in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX (+54,600), Las Vegas-
Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV (+33,500), and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ (+33,200). The largest
over-the-year percentage gains in employment occurred in Athens-Clarke County, GA (+4.1
percent), and Auburn-Opelika, AL (+3.3 percent), followed by Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers,
AR, and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV (+2.9 percent each). The over-the-year
decreases in employment occurred in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (-83,500, or
-2.4 percent), Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA (-25,700, or -2.1 percent), and
Bloomington, IN (-3,300, or -4.2 percent). (See table 3.)

Over the year, nonfarm employment increased in 10 metropolitan areas with a 2020 Census
population of 1 million or more, decreased in 2 areas, and was essentially unchanged in 44
areas. The largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment occurred in Las Vegas-
Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV (+2.9 percent), followed by Salt Lake City-Murray, UT (+2.7
percent), and Raleigh-Cary, NC (+2.6 percent). Over the year, employment decreased in
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (-2.4 percent), and Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro,
OR-WA (-2.1 percent). 

Metropolitan Division Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

In June, nonfarm payroll employment increased over the year in 2 metropolitan divisions,
decreased in 2 divisions, and was essentially unchanged in 33 divisions. The over-the-year
increases in employment occurred in New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ (+66,800, or +1.0
percent), and Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX (+39,000, or +1.3 percent). The over-the-year decreases
in employment occurred in Washington, DC-MD (-49,400, or -4.3 percent), and Frederick-
Gaithersburg-Bethesda, MD (-13,600, or -2.2 percent). (See table 4.)

_____________
The State Employment and Unemployment news release for July 2026 is scheduled to be
published on Friday, August 21, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). The Metropolitan Area
Employment and Unemployment news release for July 2026 is scheduled to be published
on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).


 _____________________________________________________________________________________________
|                                                                                             |
|             2026 Preliminary Benchmark Revision to Establishment Survey Data                |
|                          to be Published on August 28, 2026                                 |
|                                                                                             |
| Each year, Current Employment Statistics (CES) estimates are benchmarked to comprehensive   |
| counts of employment from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW). These	      |
| counts are derived from state unemployment insurance (UI) tax records that nearly all	      |
| employers are required to file. As part of the benchmark process for benchmark year 2026,   |
| census-derived employment counts replace CES payroll employment estimates for all 50	      |
| states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and about 430	      |
| metropolitan areas and divisions for the period from April 2025 to September 2026.          |
|                                                                                             |
| The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) will release first-quarter 2026 data from the QCEW     |
| on August 28, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). At the same time, BLS will publish preliminary      |
| benchmark revisions for March 2026 for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and	      |
| select metropolitan areas at the total nonfarm level. The final benchmark revisions for     |
| all state and metropolitan area series will be issued with the publication of the           |
| January 2027 State Employment and Unemployment news release in March 2027.                  |
|_____________________________________________________________________________________________|