For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Thursday, November 29, 2018                     USDL-18-1887

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 -- OCTOBER 2018


Unemployment rates were lower in October than a year earlier in 272 of the 388
metropolitan areas, higher in 95 areas, and unchanged in 21 areas, the U.S. Bureau
of Labor Statistics reported today. A total of 102 areas had jobless rates of less
than 3.0 percent and 2 areas had rates of at least 10.0 percent. Nonfarm payroll
employment increased over the year in 56 metropolitan areas and was essentially
unchanged in 332 areas. The national unemployment rate in October was 3.5 percent,
not seasonally adjusted, down from 3.9 percent a year earlier.

Metropolitan Area Unemployment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

In October, Ames, IA, had the lowest unemployment rate, 1.1 percent. El Centro, CA,
and Yuma, AZ, had the highest unemployment rates, 19.2 percent and 17.7 percent,
respectively. A total of 194 areas had October jobless rates above the U.S. rate of
3.5 percent, 173 areas had rates below it, and 21 areas had rates equal to that of
the nation. (See table 1.)

The largest over-the-year unemployment rate decreases occurred in Ocean City, NJ
(-1.9 percentage points), and Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ (-1.8 points). Thirty-two
additional areas had rate declines of at least 1.0 percentage point. Bloomington, IN,
and Texarkana, TX-AR, had the largest over-the-year rate increases in October (+0.9
percentage point each).

Of the 51 metropolitan areas with a 2010 Census population of 1 million or more,
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, had the lowest unemployment rate in October,
2.1 percent. Cleveland-Elyria, OH, had the highest jobless rate among the large areas,
4.5 percent. Thirty-six large areas had over-the-year unemployment rate decreases, 10
had increases, and 5 had no change. The largest rate decreases occurred in Buffalo-
Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY (-1.3 percentage points), and Rochester, NY (-1.2
points). The largest over-the-year rate increases were in Indianapolis-Carmel-
Anderson, IN; Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN; Memphis, TN-MS-AR; and Nashville-
Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN (+0.4 percentage point each).

  _______________________________________________________________________________
 |                                                                               |
 |                               Hurricane Michael                               |
 |                                                                               |
 | Hurricane Michael made landfall in the Florida Panhandle on October 10, 2018, |
 | during the reference periods for both the establishment and household surveys.|
 | Response rates for the two surveys were within normal ranges for the affected |
 | areas.                                                                        |
 |_______________________________________________________________________________|


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
October, San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA, had the lowest
unemployment rate among the divisions, 2.2 percent. Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia, MI,
had the highest division rate, 5.4 percent. (See table 2.)

In October, 30 metropolitan divisions had over-the-year unemployment rate decreases,
5 had increases, and 3 had no change. The largest rate declines occurred in Dutchess
County-Putnam County, NY; Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL; and Nassau County-Suffolk
County, NY (-1.1 percentage points each). The largest over-the-year rate increase
was in Elgin, IL (+0.5 percentage point).

Metropolitan Area Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

In October, 56 metropolitan areas had over-the-year increases in nonfarm payroll
employment and 332 were essentially unchanged. The largest over-the-year employment
increases occurred in Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX (+117,800), Dallas-Fort
Worth-Arlington, TX (+109,000), and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA (+108,500).
The largest over-the-year percentage gains in employment occurred in Midland, TX
(+9.2 percent), Colorado Springs, CO (+5.4 percent), and Reno, NV (+4.5 percent).
(See table 3.)

Over the year, nonfarm employment rose in 37 of the 51 metropolitan areas with a 2010
Census population of 1 million or more, while employment was essentially unchanged in
14 areas. The largest over-the-year percentage increases in employment in these large
metropolitan areas occurred in Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL (+4.4 percent), and
Austin-Round Rock, TX, and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX (+3.9 percent each).

Metropolitan Division Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

In October, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 16 of the 38 metropolitan divisions
over the year and was essentially unchanged in 22 divisions. The largest over-the-year
increase in employment among the metropolitan divisions occurred in New York-Jersey
City-White Plains, NY-NJ (+85,800), followed by Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX (+85,000), and
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA (+62,000). (See table 4.)

The largest over-the-year percentage increases in employment occurred in Seattle-Bellevue-
Everett, WA, and Tacoma-Lakewood, WA (+3.6 percent each), followed by Dallas-Plano-
Irving, TX (+3.3 percent).

_____________
The State Employment and Unemployment news release for November is scheduled to be
released on Friday, December 21, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. (EST). The Metropolitan Area
Employment and Unemployment news release for November is scheduled to be released on
Thursday, January 3, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. (EST).