Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment Summary

For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Friday, February 6, 2026                                   USDL-26-0168

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 2025


Unemployment rates were higher in December than a year earlier in 255 of the 387 metropolitan
areas, lower in 110 areas, and unchanged in 22 areas, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
reported today. A total of 61 areas had jobless rates of less than 3.0 percent and 9 areas had
rates of at least 8.0 percent. Nonfarm payroll employment increased over the year in 5
metropolitan areas, decreased in 2 areas, and was essentially unchanged in 380 areas. The
national unemployment rate in December was 4.1 percent, not seasonally adjusted, up from 3.8
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 people 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, Decatur, AL, and Huntsville, AL, had the lowest unemployment rates, 1.9 percent
each. El Centro, CA, had the highest rate, 18.6 percent. A total of 223 areas had December
jobless rates below the U.S. rate of 4.1 percent, 155 areas had rates above it, and 9 areas
had rates equal to that of the nation. (See table 1.)

The largest over-the-year unemployment rate increase in December occurred in Wildwood-The
Villages, FL (+2.5 percentage points). Fifty-one other areas had rate increases of at least
1.0 percentage point. Kokomo, IN, had the largest over-the-year rate decrease in December
(-3.3 percentage points). Twenty-four other areas had rate declines of at least 1.0 percentage
point.

Of the 56 metropolitan areas with a 2020 Census population of 1 million or more, Urban
Honolulu, HI, had the lowest jobless rate in December, 2.1 percent. Fresno, CA, had the
highest rate, 8.2 percent. Thirty-nine large areas had over-the-year unemployment rate
increases, 13 had decreases, and 4 had no change. The largest rate increase occurred in
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI (+1.6 percentage points). The largest jobless rate
decline occurred in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN (-1.3 percentage points). 

Metropolitan Division Unemployment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

Thirteen of the most populous metropolitan areas are made up of 37 metropolitan divisions,
which are essentially separately identifiable employment centers. In December, Miami-Miami
Beach-Kendall, FL, had the lowest division unemployment rate, 2.5 percent. Lake County, IL,
had the highest rate among the divisions, 5.8 percent. (See table 2.)

In December, 30 metropolitan divisions had over-the-year unemployment rate increases, 2 had
decreases, and 5 had no change. The largest increases occurred in Tacoma-Lakewood, WA, and
Wilmington, DE-MD-NJ (+1.6 percentage points each). Eleven other divisions had rate increases
of at least 1.0 percentage point. The largest unemployment rate decline from December 2024
occurred in Lake County-Porter County-Jasper County, IN (-2.1 percentage points).

Metropolitan Area Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

In December 2025, nonfarm payroll employment increased over the year in 5 metropolitan areas,
decreased in 2 areas, and was essentially unchanged in 380 areas. The largest over-the-year
employment increases occurred in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC (+37,600), Philadelphia-
Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD (+36,400), and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT (+15,300). The largest
over-the-year percentage gains in employment occurred in Rochester, MN (+4.3 percent),
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR (+3.6 percent), and Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC (+2.7
percent). Employment decreased over the year in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
(-55,900, or -1.6 percent), and Bozeman, MT (-3,200, or -4.3 percent). (See table 3.)

Over the year, nonfarm employment increased in 3 metropolitan areas with a 2020 Census
population of 1 million or more, decreased in 1 area, and was essentially unchanged in 52
areas. The largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment in these large metropolitan
areas occurred in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC (+2.7 percent), followed by Salt Lake
City-Murray, UT (+1.8 percent), and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD (+1.2
percent). The over-the-year decrease in employment occurred in Washington-Arlington-
Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (-1.6 percent).

Metropolitan Division Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

In December, nonfarm payroll employment decreased over the year in 1 metropolitan division
and was essentially unchanged in 36 divisions. The over-the-year decrease in employment among
the metropolitan divisions occurred in Washington, DC-MD (-29,600, or -2.5 percent). (See
table 4.)

_____________
The State Employment and Unemployment news release for January 2026 will be scheduled for
April. The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for January 2026 also is
expected to be released in April. 


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|											      |
|           Upcoming Changes to Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) Data		      |
|											      |
| Effective with the release of January 2026 data in April, the civilian labor force and      |
| unemployment data for the states, the District of Columbia, and the modeled substate	      |
| areas presented in tables 1 and 2 of this news release will be revised to incorporate	      |
| updated inputs, new population controls, reestimation of models, and adjustment to new      |
| census division and national control totals. The population controls will reflect	      |
| replacement of the "blended base" method that had been in use since the start of            |
| estimation for the 2020s with data adapted from the 2020 Modified Race and Age, or          |
| MARC, file. 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 are expected to be   |
| released in May 2026. 								      |
|											      |
| Due to the lapse in federal appropriations, October 2025 data collection did not occur      |
| for the Current Population Survey (CPS), which provides the primary inputs to LAUS	      |
| estimation. At the same time as the substate annual processing revisions are published in   |
| May, averages for 2025 based on the 11 months for which CPS data collection occurred will   |
| be published for all substate areas in the BLS time-series database. These 11-month	      |
| averages will not be strictly comparable to annual averages for prior years.		      |
|											      |
| Additional information about the impact of the shutdown on the household survey is	      |
| available online at www.bls.gov/cps/methods/2025-federal-government-shutdown-impact-cps.htm.|
|_____________________________________________________________________________________________|


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|											      |
|              Upcoming Changes to Current Employment Statistics (CES) Data		      |
|											      |
| Effective with the release of January 2026 data in April, all nonfarm payroll employment    |
| estimates for states and areas presented in tables 3 and 4 of this news release will be     |
| adjusted to 2025 benchmark levels. Not seasonally adjusted data beginning with April 2024   |
| and seasonally adjusted data beginning with January 2021 are subject to revision. Some not  |
| seasonally adjusted and seasonally adjusted series may be revised as far back as 1990.      |
| Also effective with the release of January 2026 data, the establishment survey will	      |
| change the birth-death model by incorporating current sample information each month. The    |
| change follows the same methodology applied to the April through October 2024 forecasts     |
| during the 2024 post-benchmark period (see question 9 in the CES Birth-Death Model	      |
| Frequently Asked Questions page at www.bls.gov/web/empsit/cesbdqa.htm). 		      |
|_____________________________________________________________________________________________|