Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment Summary

For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Wednesday, February 5, 2025	                               USDL-25-0131

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 -- DECEMBER 2024
                   
                   
Unemployment rates were higher in December than a year earlier in 266 of the 389 metropolitan 
areas, lower in 95 areas, and unchanged in 28 areas, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 
reported today. A total of 85 areas had jobless rates of less than 3.0 percent and 8 areas 
had rates of at least 8.0 percent. Nonfarm payroll employment increased over the year in 36 
metropolitan areas and was essentially unchanged in 353 areas. The national unemployment rate 
in December was 3.8 percent, not seasonally adjusted, up from 3.5 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 individuals 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 December, Rapid City, SD, had the lowest unemployment rate, 1.8 percent. The next lowest 
rates were in Sioux Falls, SD, 1.9 percent, and Ames, IA, 2.0 percent. El Centro, CA, had the 
highest rate, 17.8 percent. A total of 216 areas had December jobless rates below the U.S. 
rate of 3.8 percent, 163 areas had rates above it, and 10 areas had rates equal to that of 
the nation. (See table 1.)

The largest over-the-year unemployment rate increase in December occurred in Dalton, GA 
(+3.5 percentage points). Fifty-six other areas had rate increases of at least 1.0 percentage 
point. Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI, had the largest over-the-year rate decrease in December 
(-2.2 percentage points). Nine other areas had rate declines of at least 1.0 percentage point.

Of the 51 metropolitan areas with a 2010 Census population of 1 million or more, Minneapolis-
St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, had the lowest jobless rate in December, 2.5 percent. Las Vegas-
Henderson-Paradise, NV, had the highest rate, 5.9 percent. Thirty-four large areas had 
over-the-year unemployment rate increases, 11 had decreases, and 6 had no change. The largest 
rate increase occurred in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI (+1.4 percentage points). The largest 
jobless rate decline occurred in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT (-1.3 percentage 
points).

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 December, Silver Spring-
Frederick-Rockville, MD, had the lowest division unemployment rate, 2.4 percent. Los Angeles-
Long Beach-Glendale, CA, had the highest rate among the divisions, 5.7 percent. (See table 2.)

In December, 23 metropolitan divisions had over-the-year unemployment rate increases, 11 had 
decreases, and 4 had no change. The largest increase occurred in Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia, MI
(+1.6 percentage points). The largest unemployment rate decline from December 2023 occurred 
in Nassau County-Suffolk County, NY (-0.6 percentage point).

Metropolitan Area Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

In December 2024, nonfarm payroll employment increased over the year in 36 metropolitan areas and 
was essentially unchanged in 353 areas. The largest over-the-year employment increases occurred
in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA (+136,500), Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX (+67,800),
and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX (+57,800). The largest over-the-year percentage gains 
in employment occurred in Rochester, MN (+6.8 percent), Stockton-Lodi, CA (+5.5 percent), and 
Boise City, ID (+4.5 percent). (See table 3.)

Over the year, nonfarm employment increased in 20 metropolitan areas with a 2010 Census 
population of 1 million or more and was essentially unchanged in 31 areas. The largest 
over-the-year percentage increases in employment in these large metropolitan areas occurred in 
Richmond, VA (+3.1 percent), Salt Lake City, UT (+3.0 percent), and Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, 
NC-SC (+2.7 percent).

Metropolitan Division Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

In December, nonfarm payroll employment increased over the year in 4 metropolitan divisions and 
was essentially unchanged in 34 divisions. The largest over-the-year increases in employment among 
the metropolitan divisions occurred in New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ (+104,700), Dallas-
Plano-Irving, TX (+47,800), and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA (+45,600). (See table 4.)

The largest over-the-year percentage increases in employment occurred in Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX 
(+1.5 percent), New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ (+1.4 percent), and Washington-Arlington-
Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (+1.2 percent).

_____________
The Regional and State Unemployment 2024 Annual Averages news release is scheduled to be released 
on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). The State Employment and Unemployment news release 
for January 2025 is scheduled to be released on Monday, March 17, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). The 
Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for January 2025 is scheduled to be released 
on Friday, March 21, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).


 __________________________________________________________________________________________________
|												   |
|                         Suspension of Publication of Colorado Data				   |
|												   |
| Effective with the release of January 2025 data, both the Current Employment Statistics (CES)	   |
| and Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) programs will be temporarily suspending		   |
| publication of monthly data for Colorado. This suspension is because of ongoing issues with	   |
| the modernization of Colorado's unemployment insurance (UI) system. Because of these issues,	   |
| the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) suspended publication of critical input	   |
| data used in the production of CES and LAUS estimates. 					   |
|												   |
| Furthermore, revisions to estimates for 2024 that are scheduled to be issued by both programs	   |
| in early 2025 will be affected. CES will be unable to complete the 2024 benchmark process for	   |
| Colorado, while LAUS data revisions for 2024 will use the same inputs from CES and QCEW that	   |
| had been used during the 2024 estimation year. 						   |
|												   |
| The State Employment and Unemployment news release for January 2025 is scheduled for March	   |
| 17, 2025. The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for January 2025 is	   |
| scheduled for March 21, 2025. 								   |
|												   |
| Additional information is available at www.bls.gov/sae/notices/2024/notice-regarding-	           |
| suspension-of-publication-of-colorado-employment-and-unemployment-data.htm.			   |
|__________________________________________________________________________________________________|


 __________________________________________________________________________________________________
|												   |
|             Upcoming Changes to Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) Data		   |
| 												   |
| Effective with the release of Regional and State Unemployment 2024 Annual Averages on March 5,   |
| 2025, the civilian labor force and unemployment data for the states, the District of Columbia,   |
| and the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale metropolitan division presented in tables 1 and 2 of	   |
| this news release will be revised to incorporate updated inputs, new population controls,	   |
| re-estimation of models, and adjustment to new census division and national control totals.	   |
| Both not seasonally adjusted and seasonally adjusted data will be replaced back to their series  |
| beginnings in January 1976. Data for the remaining modeled substate and balance-of-state areas   |
| will be re-estimated back to their series beginnings in 1990 or 1994 and published with the	   |
| January 2025 State Employment and Unemployment news release on March 17, 2025. 		   |
|												   |
| Also with the release of January 2025 data for model-based areas on March 17, the LAUS estimates |
| for federal statistical areas, including metropolitan areas and metropolitan divisions, will be  |
| updated to reflect the delineations based on the 2020 Census, as published in Office of	   |
| Management and Budget (OMB) Bulletin No. 23-01. For the six New England states, New England City |
| and Town Areas, or NECTAs, will be discontinued, and LAUS will publish the areas and divisions   |
| made up of counties or county equivalents. New geography for all areas and adjustments to the	   |
| revised statewide controls will be carried back to the series beginnings in January 1990. Data   |
| for 1990-2015 will be considered final, while data for 2016-2024 will be marked as		   |
| "provisional." Final data for 2016-2024, reflecting both standard input revisions and updates to |
| American Community Survey and decennial census inputs, will be published on April 18, 2025. The  |
| January 2025 Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release on March 21, 2025, will  |
| be the first to include analysis reflecting the updated OMB delineations.			   |
|												   |
| More information on upcoming geography and data changes is available at 			   |
| www.bls.gov/lau/geography-and-data-changes-in-2025.htm.				           |
|__________________________________________________________________________________________________|


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|												   |
|                  Upcoming Changes to Current Employment Statistics (CES) Data			   |
|												   |
| Effective with the release of January 2025 estimates on March 17, 2025, all nonfarm payroll	   |
| employment estimates for states and areas presented in tables 3 and 4 of this news release will  |
| be adjusted to 2024 benchmark levels. Not seasonally adjusted data beginning with April 2023	   |
| and seasonally adjusted data beginning with January 2020 are subject to revision. Some not	   |
| seasonally adjusted and seasonally adjusted series may be revised as far back as 1990. 	   |
|												   |
| Also effective with the release of January 2025 data on March 17, 2025, the CES metropolitan	   |
| statistical area (MSA) estimates will be updated to reflect the delineations based on the 2020   |
| Census, available at 										   |
| www.bls.gov/bls/omb-bulletin-23-01-revised-delineations-of-metropolitan-statistical-areas.pdf.   |
|												   |
| As a result of this update, new MSAs will be added to publication, some existing MSAs will	   |
| undergo name and/or compositional changes, and other existing areas will be dropped from	   |
| publication. For the six New England states, New England City and Town Areas (NECTAs) will be	   |
| discontinued, and CES will publish the areas and divisions made up of counties or equivalent	   |
| entities. Details of these changes will be published in the annual CES State and Area benchmark  |
| article on March 17, 2025.									   |
|												   |
| More information about MSA definitions in the CES program, including current and previous	   |
| definitions used, is available at 								   |
| www.bls.gov/sae/additional-resources/metropolitan-statistical-area-definitions.htm.		   |
|__________________________________________________________________________________________________|