Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment Summary

For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Wednesday, July 2, 2025 		                       USDL-25-1088

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 -- MAY 2025
                  
                  
Unemployment rates were higher in May than a year earlier in 285 of the 387 metropolitan areas, 
lower in 84 areas, and unchanged in 18 areas, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. 
A total of 45 areas had jobless rates of less than 3.0 percent and 7 areas had rates of at least 
8.0 percent. Nonfarm payroll employment increased over the year in 23 metropolitan areas, 
decreased in 2 areas, and was essentially unchanged in 362 areas. The national unemployment rate 
in May was 4.0 percent, not seasonally adjusted, up 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 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 May, Sioux Falls, SD-MN, had the lowest unemployment rate, 1.7 percent. El Centro, CA, had the 
highest rate, 17.4 percent. A total of 231 areas had May jobless rates below the U.S. rate of 4.0 
percent, 138 areas had rates above it, and 18 areas had rates equal to that of the nation. (See 
table 1.)

The largest over-the-year unemployment rate increases in May occurred in Yuma, AZ (+2.2 percentage 
points), and Brownsville-Harlingen, TX (+2.0 points). Twenty-nine other areas had rate increases 
of at least 1.0 percentage point. Elkhart-Goshen, IN, had the largest over-the-year rate decrease 
in May (-1.1 percentage points), followed by Champaign-Urbana, IL (-1.0 point).

Of the 56 metropolitan areas with a 2020 Census population of 1 million or more, Urban Honolulu,
HI, and Birmingham, AL, had the lowest jobless rates in May, 2.5 percent and 2.6 percent, 
respectively. Fresno, CA, had the highest rate, 7.8 percent. Forty-four large areas had 
over-the-year unemployment rate increases, 10 had decreases, and 2 had no change. The largest 
rate increases occurred in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH (+1.3 percentage points), and Grand 
Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI (+1.2 points). The largest jobless rate decline occurred in 
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN (-0.6 percentage point). 

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 May, Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL, 
and Nassau County-Suffolk County, NY, had the lowest division unemployment rates, 2.7 percent each.
Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia, MI, had the highest rate among the divisions, 5.6 percent. (See table 2.)

In May, 27 metropolitan divisions had over-the-year unemployment rate increases, 8 had decreases, 
and 2 had no change. The largest increases occurred in Boston, MA, and Cambridge-Newton-Framingham, 
MA (+1.4 percentage points each). The largest unemployment rate declines from May 2024 occurred in 
Elgin, IL, and Lake County, IL (-0.9 percentage point each).

Metropolitan Area Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

In May 2025, nonfarm payroll employment increased over the year in 23 metropolitan areas, decreased 
in 2 areas, and was essentially unchanged in 362 areas. The largest over-the-year employment increases 
occurred in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (+95,300), Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX (+46,800), 
and Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL (+42,900). The largest over-the-year percentage gains in
employment occurred in Rochester, MN (+4.5 percent), Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC (+4.1 
percent), and Charleston-North Charleston, SC (+3.6 percent). Employment decreased over the year in 
Bozeman, MT (-3,600, or -4.8 percent), and Bloomington, IN (-2,900, or -3.5 percent). (See table 3.)

Over the year, nonfarm employment increased in 9 metropolitan areas with a 2020 Census population of 
1 million or more and was essentially unchanged in 47 areas. The largest over-the-year percentage 
increases in employment in these large metropolitan areas occurred in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT (+2.4 
percent), and Urban Honolulu, HI (+2.3 percent), followed by Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL, and San 
Antonio-New Braunfels, TX (+2.1 percent each).

Metropolitan Division Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

In May, nonfarm payroll employment increased over the year in 2 metropolitan divisions and was 
essentially unchanged in 35 divisions. The over-the-year increases in employment among the 
metropolitan divisions occurred in New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ (+76,700, or 
+1.2 percent), and Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL (+23,700, or +1.8 percent). (See table 4.)

_____________
The State Employment and Unemployment news release for June is scheduled to be released on Friday,
July 18, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release 
for June is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).


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|                                                                                                |
|               Minor Corrections to Some Household Survey Estimates for April 2025		 |
|												 |
| Corrections were made to address minor errors in some Current Population Survey (CPS)          |
| estimates for April 2025. These errors were associated with the introduction of a redesigned   |
| household survey sample, and the impact of the correction was negligible. The April revised    |
| estimates in tables 1 and 2 of this news release reflect these corrected CPS inputs. More      | 
| information is available at www.bls.gov/bls/errata/cps-corrections-april-2025.htm.             |
|________________________________________________________________________________________________|