Metropolitan area employment, May 2011

In May 2011, in percentage terms, the largest over-the-year gain in employment was reported in Sandusky, Ohio (+8.3 percent), followed by Elizabethtown, Kentucky (+6.3 percent), Logan, Utah-Idaho (+5.2 percent), and Kankakee-Bradley, Illinois (+4.9 percent).

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The largest over-the-year percentage decreases in employment were reported in Grand Junction, Colorado (‑4.7 percent), Bloomington, Indiana, and Missoula, Montana (‑4.6 percent each), and Ocean City, New Jersey, and Pascagoula, Mississippi (‑4.2 percent each).

Among large metropolitan areas (those with annual average employment levels above 750,000 in 2010), the largest over-the-year percentage increases in employment were posted in Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, Wisconsin (+2.4 percent), Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas (+2.1 percent), and Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, Texas, and Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas (+1.8 percent each). The largest over-the-year percentage employment decreases among large metropolitan areas occurred in Sacramento—Arden-Arcade—Roseville, California (‑1.6 percent), Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, California (‑1.5 percent), Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Georgia (‑1.3 percent), and Indianapolis-Carmel, Indiana (‑1.0 percent).

In May, 201 metropolitan areas reported over-the-year increases in nonfarm payroll employment, 157 reported decreases, and 14 had no change. The largest over-the-year employment increase occurred in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas (+58,900), and the largest over-the-year decrease in employment occurred in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Georgia (‑30,000).

These data are from the Current Employment Statistics (State and Metropolitan Area) program. For more information, see "Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment – May 2011" (HTML) (PDF), new release USDL-11-0961. Data for the most recent month are preliminary and subject to revision.