Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment Summary

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).