194 of 388 metropolitan areas had unemployment rates below U.S. rate of 4.1 percent in May 2017
July 03, 2017
In May 2017, 194 metropolitan areas had unemployment rates lower than the U.S. rate of 4.1 percent, 181 had jobless rates above it, and 13 areas had rates equal to the national unemployment rate. Bismarck, North Dakota, Fargo, North Dakota-Minnesota, and Ames, Iowa, each had unemployment rates of 1.9 percent in May 2017, the lowest among all metropolitan areas. El Centro, California (20.5 percent), and Yuma, Arizona (18.9 percent), were the metropolitan areas with the highest unemployment rates.
Unemployment rate by metropolitan area, not seasonally adjusted, May 2017
Metropolitan area
Unemployment rate (percent of labor force)
May 2016
May 2017(p)
Bismarck, ND
2.5%
1.9%
Fargo, ND-MN
2.2
1.9
Ames, IA
2.1
1.9
Fort Collins, CO
2.7
2.0
Elkhart-Goshen, IN
3.3
2.1
Boulder, CO
2.7
2.1
Columbus, IN
3.2
2.2
Madison, WI
3.0
2.2
Fond du Lac, WI
3.4
2.3
Greeley, CO
3.4
2.3
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN
3.4
2.3
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO
3.0
2.3
Idaho Falls, ID
2.9
2.3
Grand Forks, ND-MN
2.7
2.3
Burlington-South Burlington, VT NECTA
2.3
2.3
Dover-Durham, NH-ME NECTA
2.5
2.4
Iowa City, IA
2.4
2.4
Portsmouth, NH-ME NECTA
2.4
2.4
Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
3.7
2.5
Corvallis, OR
3.6
2.5
Wausau, WI
3.5
2.5
Sheboygan, WI
3.4
2.5
Appleton, WI
3.3
2.5
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO
2.9
2.5
Sioux Falls, SD
2.2
2.5
Fort Wayne, IN
4.0
2.6
Green Bay, WI
3.6
2.6
Oshkosh-Neenah, WI
3.6
2.6
Eau Claire, WI
3.4
2.6
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN
3.4
2.6
Pocatello, ID
3.0
2.6
Urban Honolulu, HI
2.8
2.6
Lincoln, NE
2.7
2.6
Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN
3.9
2.7
Knoxville, TN
3.9
2.7
Colorado Springs, CO
3.6
2.7
Boise City, ID
3.3
2.7
Dubuque, IA
3.2
2.7
Logan, UT-ID
3.0
2.7
Portland-South Portland, ME NECTA
2.9
2.7
Manchester, NH NECTA
2.7
2.7
Lewiston, ID-WA
3.6
2.8
Ann Arbor, MI
3.4
2.8
Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI
3.3
2.8
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
3.1
2.8
Kokomo, IN
4.5
2.9
Cleveland, TN
4.2
2.9
Evansville, IN-KY
4.1
2.9
Grand Island, NE
3.3
2.9
Jonesboro, AR
3.3
2.9
Billings, MT
3.2
2.9
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA
3.1
2.9
Provo-Orem, UT
3.1
2.9
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD
3.0
2.9
Columbia, MO
2.9
2.9
Rochester, MN
2.7
2.9
Mankato-North Mankato, MN
2.6
2.9
Bloomington, IN
4.6
3.0
South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI
4.2
3.0
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA
3.7
3.0
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
3.5
3.0
Santa Rosa, CA
3.5
3.0
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
3.4
3.0
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI
3.1
3.0
Manhattan, KS
3.1
3.0
Morristown, TN
4.6
3.1
Morgantown, WV
4.4
3.1
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI
4.2
3.1
Coeur d'Alene, ID
4.0
3.1
Charleston-North Charleston, SC
3.9
3.1
Napa, CA
3.6
3.1
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR
3.5
3.1
Missoula, MT
3.3
3.1
Rapid City, SD
2.9
3.1
Amarillo, TX
2.8
3.1
Johnson City, TN
4.6
3.2
Bend-Redmond, OR
4.5
3.2
Jackson, TN
4.4
3.2
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL
3.7
3.2
Cedar Rapids, IA
3.6
3.2
Great Falls, MT
3.5
3.2
Lewiston-Auburn, ME NECTA
3.5
3.2
College Station-Bryan, TX
3.3
3.2
Ogden-Clearfield, UT
3.3
3.2
Lubbock, TX
3.1
3.2
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
3.1
3.2
Salt Lake City, UT
3.1
3.2
Austin-Round Rock, TX
2.9
3.2
Grand Junction, CO
5.2
3.3
Lansing-East Lansing, MI
4.7
3.3
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
4.5
3.3
Chattanooga, TN-GA
4.3
3.3
Janesville-Beloit, WI
4.2
3.3
Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC
4.1
3.3
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC
4.1
3.3
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
4.1
3.3
Jefferson City, MO
3.5
3.3
St. George, UT
3.5
3.3
Winchester, VA-WV
3.4
3.3
Lawrence, KS
3.3
3.3
St. Cloud, MN
3.3
3.3
Terre Haute, IN
5.3
3.4
Muncie, IN
5.0
3.4
Racine, WI
4.7
3.4
Midland, TX
4.5
3.4
Gainesville, FL
4.0
3.4
Charlottesville, VA
3.3
3.4
Michigan City-La Porte, IN
5.6
3.5
Salem, OR
4.9
3.5
Spartanburg, SC
4.4
3.5
Columbia, SC
4.2
3.5
Cheyenne, WY
4.1
3.5
Asheville, NC
3.7
3.5
Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL
4.8
3.6
Eugene, OR
4.8
3.6
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
4.7
3.6
Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA
4.6
3.6
Pueblo, CO
4.6
3.6
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA
4.3
3.6
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
4.3
3.6
Trenton, NJ
4.3
3.6
Hot Springs, AR
4.2
3.6
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
4.2
3.6
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
4.1
3.6
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI
4.0
3.6
California-Lexington Park, MD
3.8
3.6
Bangor, ME NECTA
3.7
3.6
Lexington-Fayette, KY
3.6
3.6
Springfield, MO
3.6
3.6
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
3.6
3.6
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX
3.4
3.6
Auburn-Opelika, AL
4.8
3.7
Memphis, TN-MS-AR
4.8
3.7
Huntsville, AL
4.7
3.7
Tallahassee, FL
4.4
3.7
North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL
4.2
3.7
Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV
4.1
3.7
Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL
4.1
3.7
Topeka, KS
3.8
3.7
Columbus, OH
3.7
3.7
Sherman-Denison, TX
3.6
3.7
Staunton-Waynesboro, VA
3.5
3.7
Albany, OR
5.6
3.8
Bloomington, IL
4.6
3.8
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
4.6
3.8
Jackson, MI
4.5
3.8
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
4.5
3.8
Jacksonville, FL
4.4
3.8
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
4.3
3.8
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL
4.2
3.8
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
4.2
3.8
Midland, MI
4.2
3.8
Springfield, IL
4.2
3.8
Raleigh, NC
4.1
3.8
Bowling Green, KY
4.0
3.8
Ithaca, NY
3.8
3.8
Roanoke, VA
3.7
3.8
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
3.6
3.8
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH NECTA
3.4
3.8
Medford, OR
5.7
3.9
Birmingham-Hoover, AL
5.1
3.9
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA NECTA
5.0
3.9
Reno, NV
5.0
3.9
Niles-Benton Harbor, MI
4.5
3.9
Battle Creek, MI
4.4
3.9
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL
4.4
3.9
Danbury, CT NECTA
4.2
3.9
Kansas City, MO-KS
4.2
3.9
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN
4.1
3.9
Wichita Falls, TX
4.1
3.9
Gainesville, GA
4.0
3.9
Monroe, MI
4.0
3.9
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
3.9
3.9
Harrisonburg, VA
3.9
3.9
Richmond, VA
3.9
3.9
Gettysburg, PA
3.8
3.9
Joplin, MO
3.8
3.9
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY
3.7
3.9
St. Joseph, MO-KS
3.7
3.9
Montgomery, AL
5.1
4.0
Clarksville, TN-KY
4.9
4.0
Enid, OK
4.6
4.0
Fort Smith, AR-OK
4.6
4.0
Champaign-Urbana, IL
4.5
4.0
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
4.5
4.0
Panama City, FL
4.5
4.0
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
4.4
4.0
San Angelo, TX
4.3
4.0
Wilmington, NC
4.3
4.0
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA
4.1
4.0
St. Louis, MO-IL
4.1
4.0
Lancaster, PA
3.9
4.0
Abilene, TX
3.7
4.0
Waco, TX
3.7
4.0
Dothan, AL
5.5
4.1
Decatur, AL
5.4
4.1
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
5.3
4.1
Florence, SC
5.1
4.1
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
4.9
4.1
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL
4.9
4.1
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA
4.7
4.1
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
4.5
4.1
Burlington, NC
4.4
4.1
Oklahoma City, OK
4.3
4.1
State College, PA
4.3
4.1
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
4.1
4.1
Tyler, TX
4.1
4.1
Charleston, WV
5.5
4.2
Tuscaloosa, AL
5.4
4.2
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC
5.1
4.2
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
4.7
4.2
Winston-Salem, NC
4.5
4.2
Glens Falls, NY
4.3
4.2
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC
4.3
4.2
Killeen-Temple, TX
4.1
4.2
Kingston, NY
4.0
4.2
Grants Pass, OR
6.2
4.3
Gadsden, AL
5.4
4.3
Port St. Lucie, FL
4.9
4.3
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA
4.9
4.3
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL
4.8
4.3
Lake Charles, LA
4.6
4.3
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ
4.4
4.3
Springfield, OH
4.4
4.3
Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
4.3
4.3
Lebanon, PA
4.3
4.3
Wichita, KS
4.3
4.3
Dayton, OH
4.1
4.3
Parkersburg-Vienna, WV
5.5
4.4
Pine Bluff, AR
5.3
4.4
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
5.1
4.4
Muskegon, MI
4.9
4.4
Punta Gorda, FL
4.9
4.4
Saginaw, MI
4.9
4.4
Valdosta, GA
4.9
4.4
Laredo, TX
4.7
4.4
Savannah, GA
4.7
4.4
Owensboro, KY
4.5
4.4
Lynchburg, VA
4.2
4.4
Worcester, MA-CT NECTA
4.0
4.4
Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL
6.1
4.5
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
5.4
4.5
Walla Walla, WA
5.3
4.5
Carbondale-Marion, IL
5.2
4.5
Duluth, MN-WI
5.0
4.5
New Bern, NC
4.8
4.5
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
4.7
4.5
Athens-Clarke County, GA
4.6
4.5
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
4.5
4.5
Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, KY
4.4
4.5
Akron, OH
4.3
4.5
Rochester, NY
4.2
4.5
Barnstable Town, MA NECTA
4.0
4.5
Texarkana, TX-AR
4.0
4.5
Beckley, WV
7.0
4.6
Sumter, SC
5.4
4.6
Flint, MI
5.2
4.6
Jackson, MS
5.0
4.6
Greensboro-High Point, NC
4.9
4.6
Tucson, AZ
4.6
4.6
Prescott, AZ
4.5
4.6
York-Hanover, PA
4.5
4.6
Syracuse, NY
4.4
4.6
Lima, OH
4.3
4.6
Odessa, TX
6.5
4.7
Carson City, NV
5.9
4.7
Bellingham, WA
5.8
4.7
Olympia-Tumwater, WA
5.8
4.7
Ocala, FL
5.4
4.7
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC
5.3
4.7
Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI NECTA
5.2
4.7
Brunswick, GA
5.1
4.7
Baton Rouge, LA
5.0
4.7
Jacksonville, NC
4.9
4.7
Bay City, MI
4.8
4.7
Lawton, OK
4.8
4.7
Utica-Rome, NY
4.5
4.7
Anniston-Oxford-Jacksonville, AL
6.1
4.8
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV
5.8
4.8
Hattiesburg, MS
5.4
4.8
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT NECTA
5.2
4.8
Victoria, TX
5.2
4.8
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT NECTA
5.0
4.8
Canton-Massillon, OH
4.9
4.8
Salisbury, MD-DE
4.7
4.8
El Paso, TX
4.6
4.8
Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY
4.5
4.8
Dover, DE
4.5
4.8
Leominster-Gardner, MA NECTA
4.3
4.8
Wheeling, WV-OH
6.6
4.9
Bremerton-Silverdale, WA
5.8
4.9
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH
5.8
4.9
Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL
5.8
4.9
Greenville, NC
5.3
4.9
New Haven, CT NECTA
5.2
4.9
Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA
5.0
4.9
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
5.0
4.9
Reading, PA
5.0
4.9
Tulsa, OK
5.0
4.9
Warner Robins, GA
5.0
4.9
Binghamton, NY
4.8
4.9
Mansfield, OH
4.7
4.9
Springfield, MA-CT NECTA
4.6
4.9
Mobile, AL
6.0
5.0
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
6.0
5.0
Chico, CA
5.9
5.0
Decatur, IL
5.9
5.0
Peoria, IL
5.8
5.0
Kankakee, IL
5.7
5.0
Cumberland, MD-WV
5.4
5.0
Goldsboro, NC
5.2
5.0
Santa Fe, NM
4.9
5.0
Pittsfield, MA NECTA
4.3
5.0
Redding, CA
6.2
5.1
Sebring, FL
5.9
5.1
Rome, GA
5.5
5.1
Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA
5.3
5.1
New Orleans-Metairie, LA
5.3
5.1
Hinesville, GA
5.2
5.1
Altoona, PA
5.0
5.1
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
4.9
5.1
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA
6.6
5.2
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA
6.2
5.2
Salinas, CA
6.0
5.2
Dalton, GA
5.4
5.2
Elmira, NY
5.4
5.2
Macon-Bibb County, GA
5.4
5.2
Flagstaff, AZ
5.3
5.2
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
5.1
5.2
Wenatchee, WA
6.7
5.3
Kennewick-Richland, WA
6.5
5.3
Pittsburgh, PA
5.5
5.3
Toledo, OH
4.1
5.3
Casper, WY
7.7
5.4
Fayetteville, NC
5.8
5.4
Longview, TX
5.7
5.4
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
6.1
5.5
Columbus, GA-AL
5.9
5.5
Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ
5.9
5.5
Homosassa Springs, FL
6.3
5.6
Monroe, LA
6.0
5.7
Albany, GA
5.8
5.7
Albuquerque, NM
5.7
5.7
Corpus Christi, TX
5.5
5.7
Watertown-Fort Drum, NY
5.3
5.7
New Bedford, MA NECTA
5.1
5.7
Cleveland-Elyria, OH
4.9
5.8
Longview, WA
7.4
5.9
Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ
7.2
5.9
The Villages, FL
6.7
5.9
Waterbury, CT NECTA
6.2
5.9
Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ
6.1
5.9
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA
5.9
5.9
Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA
5.7
5.9
Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH
7.4
6.0
Williamsport, PA
6.8
6.0
Houma-Thibodaux, LA
6.6
6.0
Danville, IL
6.4
6.0
Erie, PA
6.4
6.0
Shreveport-Bossier City, LA
6.1
6.0
Fairbanks, AK
5.5
6.0
Johnstown, PA
6.5
6.1
Hammond, LA
6.4
6.1
Rockford, IL
5.8
6.1
Stockton-Lodi, CA
7.3
6.2
Lafayette, LA
7.1
6.2
Alexandria, LA
6.0
6.2
Yakima, WA
7.7
6.3
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ
7.1
6.3
Anchorage, AK
5.9
6.3
East Stroudsburg, PA
6.2
6.4
Las Cruces, NM
7.0
6.8
Rocky Mount, NC
6.7
6.8
Modesto, CA
8.1
7.0
Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
6.7
7.0
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX
6.2
7.0
Farmington, NM
8.8
7.2
Madera, CA
8.5
7.2
Fresno, CA
8.7
7.4
Ocean City, NJ
8.7
7.5
Yuba City, CA
8.6
7.5
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX
7.1
7.5
Hanford-Corcoran, CA
8.8
7.9
Bakersfield, CA
10.0
8.4
Merced, CA
9.9
8.5
Visalia-Porterville, CA
9.6
8.6
Yuma, AZ
19.7
18.9
El Centro, CA
22.6
20.5
From May 2016 to May 2017, the unemployment rate in Beckley, West Virginia, fell 2.4 percentage points, the largest percentage point decline in the country. Casper, Wyoming (−2.3 percentage points), El Centro, California (−2.1 percentage points), and Michigan City-La Porte, Indiana (−2.1 percentage points), also had over-the-year unemployment rate decreases of greater than 2.0 percentage points. The largest over-the-year percentage point unemployment rate increase was a 1.2-percentage point rise in Toledo, Ohio.
These data are from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program and are not seasonally adjusted. Data for the most recent month are preliminary. To learn more, see “Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment — May 2017” ( HTML ) ( PDF ).
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