
An official website of the United States government
For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Wednesday, April 27, 2022 USDL-22-0709 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 -- MARCH 2022 Unemployment rates were lower in March than a year earlier in 386 of the 389 metropolitan areas and higher in 3 areas, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. A total of 108 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 147 metropolitan areas and was essentially unchanged in 242 areas. The national unemployment rate in March was 3.8 percent, not seasonally adjusted, down from 6.2 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 March, Logan, UT-ID, had the lowest unemployment rate, 1.7 percent. The next lowest rates were in Burlington-South Burlington, VT, Elkhart-Goshen, IN, and Provo-Orem, UT, 1.8 percent each. El Centro, CA, had the highest rate, 12.3 percent. A total of 229 areas had March jobless rates below the U.S. rate of 3.8 percent, 147 areas had rates above it, and 13 areas had rates equal to that of the nation. (See table 1.) The largest over-the-year unemployment rate decreases in March occurred in Las Vegas- Henderson-Paradise, NV (-5.3 percentage points), Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ (-5.2 points), and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (-5.1 points). Rates fell over the year by at least 4.0 percentage points in an additional 17 areas. No area had an unemployment rate increase greater than 0.2 percentage point. Of the 51 metropolitan areas with a 2010 Census population of 1 million or more, Salt Lake City, UT, had the lowest jobless rate in March, 2.1 percent. Cleveland-Elyria, OH, had the highest unemployment rate, 6.7 percent. Fifty large areas had over-the-year unemployment rate decreases, the largest of which were in Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV (-5.3 percentage points), and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (-5.1 points). The only positive rate difference relative to March 2021 was marginal (+0.2 percentage point in Cleveland-Elyria, OH). 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 March, San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA, and San Rafael, CA, had the lowest division unemployment rates, 2.4 percent each. Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia, MI, and Tacoma- Lakewood, WA, had the highest rates among the divisions, 5.8 percent each. (See table 2.) In March, all 38 metropolitan divisions had over-the-year unemployment rate decreases. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA, had the largest rate decline (-5.5 percentage points). The smallest rate decline occurred in Tacoma-Lakewood, WA (-1.2 percentage points). Metropolitan Area Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted) In March, nonfarm payroll employment increased over the year in 147 metropolitan areas and was essentially unchanged in 242 areas. The largest over-the-year employment increases occurred in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA (+496,300), Los Angeles-Long Beach- Anaheim, CA (+390,800), and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX (+267,800). The largest over- the-year percentage gains in employment occurred in Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ (+12.3 percent), Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV (+12.1 percent), and Flagstaff, AZ (+10.2 percent). (See table 3.) Over the year, nonfarm employment increased in 45 metropolitan areas with a 2010 Census population of 1 million or more, while employment was essentially unchanged in 6 areas. The largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment in these large metropolitan areas occurred in Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV (+12.1 percent), followed by Orlando- Kissimmee-Sanford, FL (+8.6 percent), and Austin-Round Rock, TX (+8.5 percent). Metropolitan Division Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted) In March, nonfarm payroll employment increased over the year in 28 metropolitan divisions and was essentially unchanged in 10 divisions. The largest over-the-year increases in employment among the metropolitan divisions occurred in New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ (+381,200), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA (+299,100), and Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX (+203,600). (See table 4.) The largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment occurred in San Francisco- Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA (+8.7 percent), followed by Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX (+7.6 percent), and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA (+7.2 percent). _____________ The State Employment and Unemployment news release for April is scheduled to be released on Friday, May 20, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for April is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, June 1, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).