For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Friday, March 20, 2020				    USDL-20-0453

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 -- JANUARY 2020


Unemployment rates were lower in January than a year earlier in 292 of the 389 metropolitan
areas, higher in 77 areas, and unchanged in 20 areas, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
reported today. A total of 51 areas had jobless rates of less than 3.0 percent and 4 areas
had rates of at least 10.0 percent. Nonfarm payroll employment increased over the year in
31 metropolitan areas, decreased in 1 area, and was essentially unchanged in the remaining
357 areas. The national unemployment rate in January was 4.0 percent, not seasonally
adjusted, down from 4.4 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 Employment and Unemployment Data Changes	|
  |										|
  | In accordance with annual practices, historical data have been revised in   |
  | tables 1 through 4 of this news release. For detailed information on the    |
  | revisions, see the box notes at the end of the news release.	        |
  |_____________________________________________________________________________|


Metropolitan Area Unemployment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

In January, Ames, IA, and Burlington-South Burlington, VT, had the lowest unemployment rates,
2.2 percent each. El Centro, CA, had the highest unemployment rate, 18.8 percent. A total of
196 areas had January jobless rates below the U.S. rate of 4.0 percent, 181 areas had rates
above it, and 12 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 January (-2.7 
percentage points). Forty-eight other areas had rate declines of at least 1.0 percentage point.
The largest over-the-year rate increase occurred in Janesville-Beloit, WI (+1.4 percentage
points).

Of the 51 metropolitan areas with a 2010 Census population of 1 million or more, Miami-Fort 
Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL, had the lowest unemployment rate in January, 2.4 percent. 
Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY; New Orleans-Metairie, LA; and Pittsburgh, PA, had the
highest jobless rates among the large areas, 5.2 percent each. Forty-five large areas had 
over-the-year unemployment rate decreases, four had increases, and two had no change. The 
largest rate decrease occurred in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI (-1.1 percentage points).
The largest jobless rate increase was in Pittsburgh, PA (+0.5 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 January, Miami-Miami
Beach-Kendall, FL, had the lowest unemployment rate among the divisions, 1.5 percent, while 
Philadelphia, PA, had the highest division rate, 5.5 percent. (See table 2.)

In January, 31 metropolitan divisions had over-the-year unemployment rate decreases, 4 had
increases, and 3 had no change. The largest rate decline occurred in Elgin, IL (-1.6 
percentage points). None of the over-the-year rate increases exceeded 0.3 percentage point.

Metropolitan Area Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

In January, 31 metropolitan areas had over-the-year increases in nonfarm payroll employment,
1 had a decrease, and 357 were essentially unchanged. The largest over-the-year employment
increases occurred in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX (+119,300), New York-Newark-Jersey 
City, NY-NJ-PA (+112,700), and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (+101,000). The largest
over-the-year percentage gains in employment occurred in Yuba City, CA (+8.8 percent), and 
Austin-Round Rock, TX; Boise City, ID; and Salt Lake City, UT (+3.6 percent each). Employment
fell in Rockford, IL (-6,300, or -4.2 percent). (See table 3.)

Over the year, nonfarm employment rose in 25 of the 51 metropolitan areas with a 2010 Census
population of 1 million or more, while employment was essentially unchanged in 26 areas. The
largest over-the-year percentage increases in employment in these large metropolitan areas
occurred in Austin-Round Rock, TX, and Salt Lake City, UT (+3.6 percent each), and Nashville-
Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN (+3.3 percent). 

Metropolitan Division Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

In January, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 8 of the 38 metropolitan divisions over
the year and was essentially unchanged in 30 divisions. The largest over-the-year increase in
employment among the metropolitan divisions occurred in Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX (+91,300),
followed by New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ (+89,900), and Los Angeles-Long Beach-
Glendale, CA (+79,800). (See table 4.)

The largest over-the-year percentage increases in employment occurred in Dallas-Plano-Irving,
TX (+3.5 percent), San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA (+3.3 percent), and Fort
Worth-Arlington, TX (+2.6 percent). 

_____________
The State Employment and Unemployment news release for February is scheduled to be
released on Friday, March 27, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT). The Metropolitan Area Employment
and Unemployment news release for February is scheduled to be released on Wednesday,
April 8, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).


   _____________________________________________________________________________
  |										|
  |		Changes to Local Area Unemployment Statistics Data		|
  |										|
  | Effective with the release of Regional and State Unemployment 2019 Annual   |
  | Averages on Wednesday, March 4, 2020, civilian labor force and unemployment |
  | data for all states, the District of Columbia, and the modeled substate     |
  | areas presented in tables 1 and 2 of this news release were revised from    |
  | 2015 through 2019 to incorporate updated inputs, new population controls,   |
  | re-estimation of models, and adjustment to new census division and national |
  | control totals. Revisions to estimates for all model-based areas were loaded|
  | into the BLS time series database at that time.				|
  |										|
  | Civilian labor force and unemployment data for the non-modeled metropolitan |
  | areas and divisions presented in tables 1 and 2 of this news release have   |
  | been revised for 2019 to incorporate updated inputs and adjustment to new   |
  | state control totals. Revised estimates for these areas and divisions have  |
  | not been loaded into the BLS time series database; therefore, the database  |
  | does not match the data for 2019 in this news release. Revisions for all    |
  | non-modeled metropolitan areas and divisions from 2015 through 2019 will be |
  | loaded into the database on Friday, April 17, 2020. For more information,   |
  | see www.bls.gov/lau/launews1.htm.						|
  |_____________________________________________________________________________|


   _____________________________________________________________________________
  |										|
  |		  Changes to Current Employment Statistics Data			|
  |										|
  | Effective with this news release, all nonfarm payroll employment estimates  |
  | for states and metropolitan areas (tables 3 and 4) have been revised as a   |
  | result of annual benchmark processing to reflect 2019 employment counts     |
  | primarily from the BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), as  |
  | well as updating of seasonal adjustment factors. Not seasonally adjusted    |
  | data beginning with April 2018 and seasonally adjusted data beginning with  |
  | January 2015 were subject to revision. Some not seasonally adjusted and     |
  | seasonally adjusted series may have been revised as far back as 1990.       |
  | Information on annual benchmark processing is available at 			|
  | www.bls.gov/web/laus/benchmark.pdf.						|
  |_____________________________________________________________________________|