March 29, 2010 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Metropolitan area unemployment rates, January 2010

Metropolitan area unemployment rate comparisons, January 2010, versus prior year and U.S. unemployment rate, not seasonally adjusted
Metropolitan area unemployment rates compared to U.S. unemployment rate of 10.6 percent (January 2010)	Number of areas
Below	210
Above	159
Equal	3
Metropolitan area unemployment rates compared to prior year unemployment rate (January 2009)	Number of areas
Higher	363
Lower	7
Unchanged	2

A Look at Projected Employment in Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services, 2021‒31
Examines projected employment growth for the 2021–31 decade for the sector and its detailed industries and top-employing occupations.
Business Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Looks at differences in private industry businesses' responses to COVID-19 across firm sizes.
Inflation Experiences for Lower and Higher Income Households Presents consumer price indexes for the lowest and highest household incomes to examine how different spending patterns change measures of inflation.
How the COVID-19 Pandemic Changed Urban and Rural Spending Habits
Explores how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the spending behaviors of urban and rural consumers.
Workplace Injuries and Job Requirements for Construction Laborers
Examines typical physical requirements for construction laborers, exposures they experience on the job, and nonfatal and fatal injuries they incur.