208 out of 372 metro areas had unemployment rates below U.S. rate of 5.4 percent in December 2014
February 06, 2015
In December 2014, 208 metropolitan areas had unemployment rates below the U.S. rate of 5.4 percent, 155 areas had rates above it, and 9 areas had rates equal to that of the nation. Yuma, Arizona, had the highest unemployment rate, 22.1 percent. Midland, Texas, had the lowest unemployment rate, 2.1 percent.
Unemployment rates for states and metropolitan areas, not seasonallly adjusted, December 2014
Metropolitan area |
Unemployment rate (p) |
Alabama
|
5.3% |
Anniston-Oxford, AL
|
5.8 |
Auburn-Opelika, AL
|
4.1 |
Birmingham-Hoover, AL
|
4.6 |
Decatur, AL
|
5.3 |
Dothan, AL
|
5.4 |
Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL
|
6.3 |
Gadsden, AL
|
5.1 |
Huntsville, AL
|
4.7 |
Mobile, AL
|
6.2 |
Montgomery, AL
|
5.5 |
Tuscaloosa, AL
|
4.8 |
Alaska
|
6.3 |
Anchorage, AK
|
5.2 |
Fairbanks, AK
|
5.6 |
Arizona
|
6.5 |
Flagstaff, AZ
|
7.3 |
Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ
|
7.9 |
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ
|
5.6 |
Prescott, AZ
|
6.3 |
Tucson, AZ
|
5.9 |
Yuma, AZ
|
22.1 |
Arkansas
|
5.6 |
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO
|
4.1 |
Fort Smith, AR-OK
|
5.5 |
Hot Springs, AR
|
6.0 |
Jonesboro, AR
|
5.1 |
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR
|
5.0 |
Pine Bluff, AR
|
7.2 |
California
|
6.7 |
Bakersfield-Delano, CA
|
9.9 |
Chico, CA
|
7.5 |
El Centro, CA
|
21.0 |
Fresno, CA
|
11.0 |
Hanford-Corcoran, CA
|
11.6 |
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA
|
6.7 |
Madera-Chowchilla, CA
|
10.5 |
Merced, CA
|
12.8 |
Modesto, CA
|
10.5 |
Napa, CA
|
5.1 |
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
|
5.9 |
Redding, CA
|
8.1 |
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
|
7.2 |
Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville, CA
|
6.2 |
Salinas, CA
|
10.7 |
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA
|
5.2 |
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
|
4.4 |
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
|
4.6 |
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
|
5.0 |
Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta, CA
|
5.7 |
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
|
8.3 |
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
|
4.7 |
Stockton, CA
|
10.4 |
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA
|
6.1 |
Visalia-Porterville, CA
|
12.7 |
Yuba City, CA
|
12.2 |
Colorado
|
4.0 |
Boulder, CO
|
3.0 |
Colorado Springs, CO
|
5.1 |
Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO
|
3.9 |
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO
|
3.1 |
Grand Junction, CO
|
4.7 |
Greeley, CO
|
3.9 |
Pueblo, CO
|
5.7 |
Connecticut
|
5.7 |
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT Metropolitan NECTA
|
5.3 |
Danbury, CT Metropolitan NECTA
|
4.3 |
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT Metropolitan NECTA
|
5.8 |
New Haven, CT Metropolitan NECTA
|
5.8 |
Norwich-New London, CT-RI Metropolitan NECTA
|
6.1 |
Waterbury, CT Metropolitan NECTA
|
7.6 |
Delaware
|
4.6 |
Dover, DE
|
4.6 |
District of Columbia
|
7.2 |
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
|
4.5 |
Florida
|
5.4 |
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL
|
5.0 |
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL
|
4.2 |
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL
|
5.3 |
Gainesville, FL
|
4.3 |
Jacksonville, FL
|
5.1 |
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
|
6.1 |
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL
|
5.6 |
Naples-Marco Island, FL
|
4.7 |
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL
|
5.0 |
Ocala, FL
|
6.4 |
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
|
5.0 |
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL
|
5.7 |
Palm Coast, FL
|
7.6 |
Panama City-Lynn Haven-Panama City Beach, FL
|
5.8 |
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL
|
5.2 |
Port St. Lucie, FL
|
5.9 |
Punta Gorda, FL
|
5.1 |
Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL
|
6.0 |
Tallahassee, FL
|
4.8 |
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
|
5.5 |
Georgia
|
6.6 |
Albany, GA
|
7.3 |
Athens-Clarke County, GA
|
4.9 |
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA
|
6.4 |
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC
|
6.5 |
Brunswick, GA
|
7.4 |
Columbus, GA-AL
|
7.2 |
Dalton, GA
|
8.2 |
Gainesville, GA
|
5.2 |
Hinesville-Fort Stewart, GA
|
7.6 |
Macon, GA
|
6.8 |
Rome, GA
|
6.8 |
Savannah, GA
|
6.2 |
Valdosta, GA
|
6.7 |
Warner Robins, GA
|
6.2 |
Hawaii
|
3.7 |
Honolulu, HI
|
3.4 |
Idaho
|
3.7 |
Boise City-Nampa, ID
|
3.3 |
Coeur d'Alene, ID
|
4.4 |
Idaho Falls, ID
|
3.1 |
Lewiston, ID-WA
|
4.2 |
Pocatello, ID
|
3.9 |
Illinois
|
5.7 |
Bloomington-Normal, IL
|
5.3 |
Champaign-Urbana, IL
|
5.5 |
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL-IN-WI
|
5.6 |
Danville, IL
|
7.6 |
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
|
6.0 |
Decatur, IL
|
7.5 |
Kankakee-Bradley, IL
|
7.4 |
Peoria, IL
|
6.5 |
Rockford, IL
|
7.8 |
Springfield, IL
|
5.6 |
Indiana
|
5.8 |
Anderson, IN
|
6.8 |
Bloomington, IN
|
5.5 |
Columbus, IN
|
4.3 |
Elkhart-Goshen, IN
|
5.1 |
Evansville, IN-KY
|
5.0 |
Fort Wayne, IN
|
5.2 |
Indianapolis-Carmel, IN
|
5.3 |
Kokomo, IN
|
6.0 |
Lafayette, IN
|
5.0 |
Michigan City-La Porte, IN
|
8.0 |
Muncie, IN
|
6.6 |
South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI
|
6.1 |
Terre Haute, IN
|
7.5 |
Iowa
|
4.2 |
Ames, IA
|
2.7 |
Cedar Rapids, IA
|
4.2 |
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
|
3.9 |
Dubuque, IA
|
3.9 |
Iowa City, IA
|
2.7 |
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD
|
4.2 |
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
|
4.7 |
Kansas
|
4.0 |
Lawrence, KS
|
3.5 |
Manhattan, KS
|
3.7 |
Topeka, KS
|
4.4 |
Wichita, KS
|
4.8 |
Kentucky
|
5.1 |
Bowling Green, KY
|
4.2 |
Elizabethtown, KY
|
4.7 |
Lexington-Fayette, KY
|
4.0 |
Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN
|
4.8 |
Owensboro, KY
|
4.2 |
Louisiana
|
6.2 |
Alexandria, LA
|
6.7 |
Baton Rouge, LA
|
5.7 |
Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA
|
4.2 |
Lafayette, LA
|
4.6 |
Lake Charles, LA
|
5.3 |
Monroe, LA
|
6.7 |
New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA
|
6.1 |
Shreveport-Bossier City, LA
|
6.5 |
Maine
|
5.0 |
Bangor, ME Metropolitan NECTA
|
4.6 |
Lewiston-Auburn, ME Metropolitan NECTA
|
4.4 |
Portland-South Portland-Biddeford, ME Metropolitan NECTA
|
3.7 |
Maryland
|
5.3 |
Baltimore-Towson, MD
|
5.5 |
Cumberland, MD-WV
|
6.3 |
Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV
|
5.9 |
Salisbury, MD
|
7.5 |
Massachusetts
|
4.8 |
Barnstable Town, MA Metropolitan NECTA
|
5.8 |
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH Metropolitan NECTA
|
4.3 |
Leominster-Fitchburg-Gardner, MA Metropolitan NECTA
|
6.2 |
New Bedford, MA Metropolitan NECTA
|
7.4 |
Pittsfield, MA Metropolitan NECTA
|
5.4 |
Springfield, MA-CT Metropolitan NECTA
|
5.9 |
Worcester, MA-CT Metropolitan NECTA
|
5.2 |
Michigan
|
5.6 |
Ann Arbor, MI
|
3.2 |
Battle Creek, MI
|
4.6 |
Bay City, MI
|
5.5 |
Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI
|
6.7 |
Flint, MI
|
5.6 |
Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI
|
3.6 |
Holland-Grand Haven, MI
|
3.6 |
Jackson, MI
|
5.3 |
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI
|
4.5 |
Lansing-East Lansing, MI
|
4.1 |
Monroe, MI
|
4.4 |
Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI
|
5.0 |
Niles-Benton Harbor, MI
|
5.2 |
Saginaw-Saginaw Township North, MI
|
5.2 |
Minnesota
|
3.7 |
Duluth, MN-WI
|
4.4 |
Mankato-North Mankato, MN
|
2.6 |
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
|
3.3 |
Rochester, MN
|
3.1 |
St. Cloud, MN
|
3.9 |
Mississippi
|
7.1 |
Gulfport-Biloxi, MS
|
6.9 |
Hattiesburg, MS
|
6.0 |
Jackson, MS
|
5.5 |
Pascagoula, MS
|
7.8 |
Missouri
|
5.3 |
Cape Girardeau-Jackson, MO-IL
|
4.8 |
Columbia, MO
|
3.3 |
Jefferson City, MO
|
4.4 |
Joplin, MO
|
4.2 |
Kansas City, MO-KS
|
5.0 |
St. Joseph, MO-KS
|
4.2 |
St. Louis, MO-IL
|
5.6 |
Springfield, MO
|
4.3 |
Montana
|
4.3 |
Billings, MT
|
3.0 |
Great Falls, MT
|
3.7 |
Missoula, MT
|
4.0 |
Nebraska
|
2.9 |
Lincoln, NE
|
2.5 |
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA
|
3.2 |
Nevada
|
6.7 |
Carson City, NV
|
7.0 |
Las Vegas-Paradise, NV
|
6.9 |
Reno-Sparks, NV
|
6.2 |
New Hampshire
|
3.8 |
Manchester, NH Metropolitan NECTA
|
3.6 |
Portsmouth, NH-ME Metropolitan NECTA
|
3.2 |
Rochester-Dover, NH-ME Metropolitan NECTA
|
3.5 |
New Jersey
|
5.7 |
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ
|
11.3 |
Ocean City, NJ
|
12.7 |
Trenton-Ewing, NJ
|
4.5 |
Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton, NJ
|
9.4 |
New Mexico
|
5.5 |
Albuquerque, NM
|
5.6 |
Farmington, NM
|
5.2 |
Las Cruces, NM
|
6.1 |
Santa Fe, NM
|
4.2 |
New York
|
5.7 |
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY
|
4.6 |
Binghamton, NY
|
6.1 |
Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY
|
5.7 |
Elmira, NY
|
5.7 |
Glens Falls, NY
|
6.0 |
Ithaca, NY
|
3.5 |
Kingston, NY
|
5.4 |
New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA
|
5.6 |
Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, NY
|
4.8 |
Rochester, NY
|
5.4 |
Syracuse, NY
|
5.7 |
Utica-Rome, NY
|
6.1 |
North Carolina
|
5.2 |
Asheville, NC
|
4.0 |
Burlington, NC
|
5.1 |
Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC
|
5.3 |
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
|
4.3 |
Fayetteville, NC
|
6.1 |
Goldsboro, NC
|
5.7 |
Greensboro-High Point, NC
|
5.3 |
Greenville, NC
|
5.2 |
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
|
5.5 |
Jacksonville, NC
|
5.6 |
Raleigh-Cary, NC
|
4.2 |
Rocky Mount, NC
|
7.7 |
Wilmington, NC
|
5.4 |
Winston-Salem, NC
|
4.8 |
North Dakota
|
2.8 |
Bismarck, ND
|
3.0 |
Fargo, ND-MN
|
2.9 |
Grand Forks, ND-MN
|
3.1 |
Ohio
|
4.7 |
Akron, OH
|
4.5 |
Canton-Massillon, OH
|
4.7 |
Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN
|
4.1 |
Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH
|
6.0 |
Columbus, OH
|
3.7 |
Dayton, OH
|
4.5 |
Lima, OH
|
4.5 |
Mansfield, OH
|
5.2 |
Sandusky, OH
|
5.2 |
Springfield, OH
|
4.1 |
Steubenville-Weirton, OH-WV
|
6.5 |
Toledo, OH
|
5.1 |
Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA
|
5.1 |
Oklahoma
|
3.8 |
Lawton, OK
|
4.6 |
Oklahoma City, OK
|
3.6 |
Tulsa, OK
|
4.0 |
Oregon
|
6.3 |
Bend, OR
|
7.5 |
Corvallis, OR
|
4.7 |
Eugene-Springfield, OR
|
6.2 |
Medford, OR
|
7.4 |
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
|
5.8 |
Salem, OR
|
6.4 |
Pennsylvania
|
4.6 |
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
|
4.8 |
Altoona, PA
|
4.4 |
Erie, PA
|
4.6 |
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
|
3.8 |
Johnstown, PA
|
5.4 |
Lancaster, PA
|
3.6 |
Lebanon, PA
|
3.5 |
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
|
5.0 |
Pittsburgh, PA
|
4.4 |
Reading, PA
|
4.4 |
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA
|
5.6 |
State College, PA
|
3.4 |
Williamsport, PA
|
4.9 |
York-Hanover, PA
|
4.3 |
Rhode Island
|
6.0 |
Providence-Fall River-Warwick, RI-MA Metropolitan NECTA
|
6.2 |
South Carolina
|
6.2 |
Anderson, SC
|
5.4 |
Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville, SC
|
5.4 |
Columbia, SC
|
5.7 |
Florence, SC
|
7.1 |
Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC
|
5.2 |
Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC
|
8.1 |
Spartanburg, SC
|
5.5 |
Sumter, SC
|
6.8 |
South Dakota
|
3.5 |
Rapid City, SD
|
3.5 |
Sioux Falls, SD
|
3.1 |
Tennessee
|
6.4 |
Chattanooga, TN-GA
|
6.1 |
Clarksville, TN-KY
|
6.5 |
Cleveland, TN
|
5.8 |
Jackson, TN
|
6.6 |
Johnson City, TN
|
6.2 |
Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA
|
6.0 |
Knoxville, TN
|
5.4 |
Memphis, TN-MS-AR
|
7.6 |
Morristown, TN
|
7.0 |
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN
|
5.0 |
Texas
|
4.1 |
Abilene, TX
|
3.2 |
Amarillo, TX
|
2.9 |
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
|
3.4 |
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX
|
6.4 |
Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
|
7.2 |
College Station-Bryan, TX
|
3.0 |
Corpus Christi, TX
|
4.3 |
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
|
4.0 |
El Paso, TX
|
5.7 |
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX
|
4.1 |
Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood, TX
|
4.8 |
Laredo, TX
|
4.4 |
Longview, TX
|
3.5 |
Lubbock, TX
|
3.0 |
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX
|
7.8 |
Midland, TX
|
2.1 |
Odessa, TX
|
2.6 |
San Angelo, TX
|
3.1 |
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX
|
3.8 |
Sherman-Denison, TX
|
4.0 |
Texarkana, TX-Texarkana, AR
|
5.0 |
Tyler, TX
|
4.1 |
Victoria, TX
|
3.1 |
Waco, TX
|
3.9 |
Wichita Falls, TX
|
3.9 |
Utah
|
3.1 |
Logan, UT-ID
|
2.3 |
Ogden-Clearfield, UT
|
3.3 |
Provo-Orem, UT
|
2.8 |
St. George, UT
|
3.7 |
Salt Lake City, UT
|
3.0 |
Vermont
|
3.9 |
Burlington-South Burlington, VT Metropolitan NECTA
|
3.3 |
Virginia
|
4.5 |
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA
|
4.6 |
Charlottesville, VA
|
3.7 |
Danville, VA
|
6.4 |
Harrisonburg, VA
|
4.2 |
Lynchburg, VA
|
5.1 |
Richmond, VA
|
4.7 |
Roanoke, VA
|
4.6 |
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC
|
5.0 |
Winchester, VA-WV
|
4.2 |
Washington
|
6.2 |
Bellingham, WA
|
6.4 |
Bremerton-Silverdale, WA
|
6.2 |
Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, WA
|
8.8 |
Longview, WA
|
8.9 |
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA
|
7.6 |
Olympia, WA
|
6.5 |
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
|
4.8 |
Spokane, WA
|
7.6 |
Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA
|
7.4 |
Yakima, WA
|
10.8 |
West Virginia
|
5.4 |
Charleston, WV
|
5.2 |
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH
|
5.0 |
Morgantown, WV
|
3.4 |
Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna, WV-OH
|
4.8 |
Wheeling, WV-OH
|
5.2 |
Wisconsin
|
5.0 |
Appleton, WI
|
4.3 |
Eau Claire, WI
|
4.5 |
Fond du Lac, WI
|
4.6 |
Green Bay, WI
|
4.6 |
Janesville, WI
|
5.7 |
La Crosse, WI-MN
|
3.8 |
Madison, WI
|
3.4 |
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI
|
5.2 |
Oshkosh-Neenah, WI
|
4.3 |
Racine, WI
|
6.3 |
Sheboygan, WI
|
3.9 |
Wausau, WI
|
4.5 |
Wyoming
|
4.0 |
Casper, WY
|
3.6 |
Cheyenne, WY
|
4.5 |
Fourteen areas had jobless rates of at least 10 percent and 158 areas had rates less than 5 percent in December 2014. Among the 49 metropolitan areas with a Census 2000 population of 1 million or more, Memphis, Tennessee-Mississippi-Arkansas, had the highest unemployment rate, 7.6 percent. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minnesota-Wisconsin, had the lowest jobless rate, 3.3 percent.
Unemployment rates were lower in December 2014 than a year earlier in 341 of the 372 areas, higher in 25 areas, and unchanged in 6 areas. Decatur, Illinois, had the largest decrease, 4.9 percentage points. Fifty-one other areas had rate decreases of at least 2.0 percentage points. Alexandria, Louisiana, had the largest rate increase, 1.9 percentage points.
These data are from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program. Data for the most recent month are preliminary and subject to revision. The data are not seasonally adjusted. To learn more, see "Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment — December 2014" (HTML) (PDF).
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