Metropolitan area unemployment rates comparison, August 2011

In August 2011, unemployment rates were lower than a year earlier in 262 of the 372 metropolitan areas, higher in 84 areas, and unchanged in 26 areas.

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A total of 217 areas recorded August unemployment rates below the U.S. figure of 9.1 percent, 149 areas reported rates above it, and 6 areas had rates equal to that of the nation.

In August, 100 metropolitan areas reported jobless rates of at least 10.0 percent, down from 119 areas a year earlier, while 74 areas posted rates below 7.0 percent, up from 55 areas in August 2010.

El Centro, California, and Yuma, Arizona, recorded the highest unemployment rates in August 2011, 32.4 and 29.4 percent, respectively. All of the remaining seven areas with jobless rates of at least 15.0 percent were located in California.

Bismarck, North Dakota, registered the lowest unemployment rate, 3.0 percent. The areas with the next lowest rates were Lincoln, Nebraska, and Fargo, North Dakota-Minnesota, 3.6 and 3.9 percent, respectively.

The metropolitan area data are not seasonally adjusted and are from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program. August 2011 metropolitan area unemployment rates are preliminary and subject to revision. Find out more in "Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment — August 2011" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL-11-1396.