For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Wednesday, August 30, 2017 USDL-17-1176
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 -- JULY 2017
Unemployment rates were lower in July than a year earlier in 340 of the 388
metropolitan areas, higher in 39 areas, and unchanged in 9 areas, the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Thirty-one 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 336 metropolitan areas,
decreased in 46 areas, and was unchanged in 6 areas. The national unemployment
rate in July was 4.6 percent, not seasonally adjusted, down from 5.1 percent a
year earlier.
Metropolitan Area Unemployment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
In July, Bismarck, ND, had the lowest unemployment rate, 1.9 percent, closely
followed by Fargo, ND-MN, 2.0 percent. El Centro, CA, and Yuma, AZ, had the
highest unemployment rates, 24.2 percent and 23.8 percent, respectively. A
total of 189 areas had July jobless rates below the U.S. rate of 4.6 percent,
186 areas had rates above it, and 13 areas had rates equal to that of the
nation. (See table 1.)
El Centro, CA, had the largest over-the-year unemployment rate decrease in July
(-3.1 percentage points), closely followed by Odessa, TX (-3.0 points). An
additional 79 areas had rate declines of at least 1.0 percentage point. The
largest over-the-year rate increases occurred in Youngstown-Warren-Boardman,
OH-PA (+1.6 percentage points), and Toledo, OH (+1.5 points).
Of the 51 metropolitan areas with a 2010 Census population of 1 million or more,
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO, had the lowest unemployment rate in July, 2.4 percent.
Cleveland-Elyria, OH, had the highest jobless rate among the large areas, 6.6
percent. Forty-three large areas had over-the-year unemployment rate decreases
and eight had increases. The largest rate decrease occurred in Detroit-Warren-
Dearborn, MI (-1.9 percentage points). The largest over-the-year rate increase
was in Cleveland-Elyria, OH (+1.0 percentage 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
July, Nashua, NH-MA, had the lowest unemployment rate among the divisions, 2.9
percent. Philadelphia, PA, had the highest division rate, 6.3 percent.
(See table 2.)
In July, 26 metropolitan divisions had over-the-year unemployment rate decreases,
11 had increases, and 1 had no change. The largest rate decline occurred in
Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia, MI (-2.0 percentage points). The largest over-the-year
rate increase occurred in Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton, MA (+0.7 percentage point).
Metropolitan Area Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
In July, 336 metropolitan areas had over-the-year increases in nonfarm payroll
employment, 46 had decreases, and 6 had no change. The largest over-the-year
employment increases occurred in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA (+176,400),
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX (+108,200), and Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
(+85,300). The largest over-the-year percentage gains in employment occurred in
St. George, UT (+6.2 percent), Elkhart-Goshen, IN (+5.7 percent), and Sebring, FL
(+5.4 percent). (See table 3.)
The largest over-the-year decrease in employment occurred in Youngstown-Warren-
Boardman, OH-PA (-2,900), followed by Houma-Thibodaux, LA, and Virginia Beach-
Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC (-2,800 each). The largest over-the-year percentage
decrease in employment occurred in Houma-Thibodaux, LA (-3.2 percent), followed
by Michigan City-La Porte, IN (-2.9 percent), and Beckley, WV, and Sierra Vista-
Douglas, AZ (-2.4 percent each).
Over the year, nonfarm employment rose in 49 of the 51 metropolitan areas with a
2010 Census population of 1 million or more and fell in 2. The largest over-the-
year percentage increases in employment in these large metropolitan areas occurred
in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA; Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL; Raleigh, NC;
and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (+3.2 percent each). The over-the-year
percentage decreases occurred in Rochester, NY, and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport
News, VA-NC (-0.4 percent each).
Metropolitan Division Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
In July, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 36 of the 38 metropolitan divisions
over the year and fell in 2. The largest over-the-year increase in employment among
the metropolitan divisions occurred in New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ
(+157,100), followed by Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX (+77,400), and Washington-Arlington-
Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (+69,600). The largest over-the-year percentage increases
occurred in Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach-Deerfield Beach, FL (+3.7 percent), West
Palm Beach-Boca Raton-Delray Beach, FL (+3.3 percent), and Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX,
and Fort Worth-Arlington, TX (+3.1 percent each). The over-the-year decreases in
employment occurred in Elgin, IL (-400, or -0.2 percent), and Lawrence-Methuen Town-
Salem, MA-NH (-300, or -0.4 percent). (See table 4.)
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The State Employment and Unemployment news release for August is scheduled to be
released on Friday, September 15, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT). The Metropolitan Area
Employment and Unemployment news release for August is scheduled to be released on
Wednesday, September 27, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).
