For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Wednesday, February 5, 2020				    USDL-20-0178

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 2019


Unemployment rates were lower in December than a year earlier in 266 of the 389 metropolitan areas,
higher in 101 areas, and unchanged in 22 areas, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. A
total of 136 areas had jobless rates of less than 3.0 percent and 3 areas had rates of at least 10.0
percent. Nonfarm payroll employment increased over the year in 45 metropolitan areas and was
essentially unchanged in the remaining 344 areas. The national unemployment rate in December was 3.4
percent, not seasonally adjusted, down from 3.7 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, Burlington-South Burlington, VT, and Logan, UT-ID, had the lowest unemployment rates,
1.6 percent and 1.7 percent, respectively. El Centro, CA, had the highest unemployment rate, 19.4
percent. A total of 212 areas had December jobless rates below the U.S. rate of 3.4 percent, 162 areas
had rates above it, and 15 areas had rates equal to that of the nation. (See table 1.)

Panama City, FL, had the largest over-the-year unemployment rate decrease in December (-3.1 percentage
points). Forty-nine other areas had rate declines of at least 1.0 percentage point. The largest 
over-the-year rate increase occurred in El Centro, CA (+1.7 percentage points).

Of the 51 metropolitan areas with a 2010 Census population of 1 million or more, Salt Lake City, UT,
had the lowest unemployment rate in December, 2.0 percent. Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY, had
the highest jobless rate among the large areas, 4.7 percent. Thirty-nine large areas had over-the-year
unemployment rate decreases, 10 had increases, and 2 had no change. The largest rate decreases
occurred in Cleveland-Elyria, OH (-1.5 percentage points), and Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO (-1.3 points).
The largest jobless rate increase was in Pittsburgh, PA (+0.8 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 December, Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL, and
San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA, had the lowest unemployment rates among the
divisions, 1.8 percent each. Philadelphia, PA, and Tacoma-Lakewood, WA, had the highest division rates,
5.0 percent and 4.8 percent, respectively. (See table 2.)

In December, 30 metropolitan divisions had over-the-year unemployment rate decreases, 6 had increases,
and 2 had no change. The largest rate decline occurred in Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL (-1.7
percentage points). The largest over-the-year jobless rate increase occurred in Philadelphia, PA (+0.6
percentage point).

Metropolitan Area Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

In December, 45 metropolitan areas had over-the-year increases in nonfarm payroll employment and 344
were essentially unchanged. The largest over-the-year employment increases occurred in Dallas-Fort 
Worth-Arlington, TX (+127,600), New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA (+97,300), and Los Angeles-Long
Beach-Anaheim, CA (+93,200). The largest over-the-year percentage gains in employment occurred in Idaho
Falls, ID, and Wilmington, NC (+4.8 percent each), and Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC 
(+4.7 percent). (See table 3.)

Over the year, nonfarm employment rose in 33 of the 51 metropolitan areas with a 2010 Census population
of 1 million or more, while employment was essentially unchanged in 18 areas. The largest over-the-year
percentage increases in employment in these large metropolitan areas occurred in Raleigh, NC (+3.7
percent), Austin-Round Rock, TX (+3.5 percent), and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX (+3.4 percent). 

Metropolitan Division Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

In December, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 11 of the 38 metropolitan divisions over the year
and was essentially unchanged in 27 divisions. The largest over-the-year increase in employment among 
the metropolitan divisions occurred in Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX (+108,400), followed by New York-Jersey 
City-White Plains, NY-NJ (+81,700), and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA (+67,800). (See table 4.)

The largest over-the-year percentage increases in employment occurred in Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX (+4.0
percent), Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA (+3.4 percent), and San Francisco-Redwood City-South San 
Francisco, CA (+2.5 percent). 

_____________
The Regional and State Unemployment 2019 Annual Averages news release is scheduled to be released on
Wednesday, March 4, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. (EST). The State Employment and Unemployment news release for
January 2020 is scheduled to be released on Monday, March 16, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT). The
Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for January 2020 is scheduled to be released
on Friday, March 20, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).


   ________________________________________________________________________________________________
  |												   |
  |		        Upcoming Changes to Local Area Unemployment Statistics Data                |
  |												   |
  |Effective with the release of Regional and State Unemployment 2019 Annual Averages on Wednesday,|
  |March 4, 2020, the civilian labor force and unemployment data for census regions and divisions  |
  |and all states, the District of Columbia, and the modeled substate areas presented in tables 1  |
  |and 2 of this news release will be revised from 2015 forward to incorporate updated inputs, new |
  |population controls, and reestimation of models. Subsequently, civilian labor force and         |
  |unemployment estimates for all other metropolitan areas and metropolitan divisions will be      |
  |revised to reflect updated inputs and adjustment to the new statewide estimates. These revised  |
  |estimates will be published in conjunction with the March 2020 State Employment and Unemployment|
  |news release on Friday, April 17, 2020.							   |
  |________________________________________________________________________________________________|


   ________________________________________________________________________________________________
  |												   |
  |			  Upcoming Changes to Current Employment Statistics Data		   |
  |												   |
  |Effective with the release of January 2020 estimates on Monday, March 16, 2020, all nonfarm     |
  |payroll employment estimates for states and areas presented in tables 3 and 4 of this news      |
  |release will be adjusted to 2019 benchmark levels. Not seasonally adjusted data beginning with  |
  |April 2018 and seasonally adjusted data beginning with January 2015 are subject to revision.    |
  |Some not seasonally adjusted and seasonally adjusted series may be revised as far back as 1990. |
  |________________________________________________________________________________________________|