October 3, 2011 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Metropolitan area unemployment rates comparison, August 2011

Metropolitan area unemployment rate comparisons, versus prior year and U.S. unemployment rate, August 2011, not seasonally adjusted
Comparison	Number of areas (p)
Metropolitan area unemployment rates compared to U.S. unemployment rate of 9.1 percent (August 2011)
Below	217
Above	149
Equal	6
Metropolitan area unemployment rates compared to prior year unemployment rate (August 2010)
Higher	84
Lower	262
Unchanged	26
Footnotes: (p) = preliminary

The Construction Industry: Characteristics of the Employed, 2003–20 Examines the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of construction industry workers.
Demographic Changes in Employment during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Compares employment before and during the COVID-19 pandemic for men and women and for different racial and ethnic groups, age groups, and other worker characteristics.
Business Employment Dynamics by Age and Size of Firms
Examines data on the age and employment size of firms from 1994 through 2019 and focuses on startups.
Occupational Employment and Wages in State and Local Government
Compares the occupational mix and wages in the private sector, state government, and local government.
America's Recovery: Labor Market Characteristics of People with a Disability
Looks into some of the major labor force characteristics of people with a disability.