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Ames, Iowa, and Burlington-South Burlington, Vermont, had lowest unemployment rates in May 2019

July 12, 2019

Ames, Iowa, and Burlington-South Burlington, Vermont, had the lowest unemployment rates among the 389 metropolitan areas in May 2019, 1.5 percent each. The rates for those areas were followed by Midland, Texas, 1.7 percent; Iowa City, Iowa, 1.8 percent; and Dubuque, Iowa, 1.9 percent. Yuma, Arizona (17.1 percent), and El Centro, California (16.4 percent), had the highest unemployment rates. A total of 197 areas had May jobless rates below the U.S. rate of 3.4 percent, 178 areas had rates above it, and 14 areas had rates equal to that of the nation.

Unemployment rates for metropolitan areas, May 2019, not seasonally adjusted
Metropolitan area Unemployment rate

Ames, IA

1.5%

Burlington-South Burlington, VT

1.5

Midland, TX

1.7

Iowa City, IA

1.8

Dubuque, IA

1.9

Fort Collins, CO

2.0

Idaho Falls, ID

2.0

Amarillo, TX

2.1

Boulder, CO

2.1

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA

2.1

Fargo, ND-MN

2.1

Odessa, TX

2.1

Austin-Round Rock, TX

2.2

Bismarck, ND

2.2

Columbus, IN

2.2

Dover-Durham, NH-ME

2.2

Greeley, CO

2.2

Logan, UT-ID

2.2

Portsmouth, NH-ME

2.2

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA

2.2

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

2.2

Sioux City, IA-NE-SD

2.2

Boise City, ID

2.3

Cedar Rapids, IA

2.3

College Station-Bryan, TX

2.3

Columbia, MO

2.3

Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO

2.3

Lubbock, TX

2.3

Madison, WI

2.3

Manchester, NH

2.3

Napa, CA

2.3

Pocatello, ID

2.3

Santa Rosa, CA

2.3

Sheboygan, WI

2.3

Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA

2.3

Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO

2.4

Fond du Lac, WI

2.4

Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN

2.4

San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA

2.4

Sioux Falls, SD

2.4

Twin Falls, ID

2.4

Wausau, WI

2.4

Appleton, WI

2.5

Corvallis, OR

2.5

Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL

2.5

Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL

2.5

Decatur, AL

2.5

Grand Forks, ND-MN

2.5

Huntsville, AL

2.5

Jefferson City, MO

2.5

Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI

2.5

La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN

2.5

Missoula, MT

2.5

Provo-Orem, UT

2.5

Rochester, MN

2.5

San Angelo, TX

2.5

Urban Honolulu, HI

2.5

Abilene, TX

2.6

Auburn-Opelika, AL

2.6

Billings, MT

2.6

Birmingham-Hoover, AL

2.6

Eau Claire, WI

2.6

Elkhart-Goshen, IN

2.6

Green Bay, WI

2.6

Mankato-North Mankato, MN

2.6

Oshkosh-Neenah, WI

2.6

Portland-South Portland, ME

2.6

San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX

2.6

Sherman-Denison, TX

2.6

Trenton, NJ

2.6

Wichita Falls, TX

2.6

Charlottesville, VA

2.7

Coeur d'Alene, ID

2.7

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

2.7

Fort Wayne, IN

2.7

Gettysburg, PA

2.7

Great Falls, MT

2.7

Jonesboro, AR

2.7

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI

2.7

Ogden-Clearfield, UT

2.7

Salt Lake City, UT

2.7

Springfield, MO

2.7

Staunton-Waynesboro, VA

2.7

Waco, TX

2.7

Winchester, VA-WV

2.7

Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH

2.8

Evansville, IN-KY

2.8

Gainesville, FL

2.8

Gainesville, GA

2.8

Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI

2.8

Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN

2.8

Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN

2.8

Lewiston, ID-WA

2.8

Lincoln, NE

2.8

Manhattan, KS

2.8

Montgomery, AL

2.8

Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL

2.8

Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL

2.8

Roanoke, VA

2.8

St. Cloud, MN

2.8

St. Joseph, MO-KS

2.8

San Diego-Carlsbad, CA

2.8

Tyler, TX

2.8

Ann Arbor, MI

2.9

Charleston-North Charleston, SC

2.9

Enid, OK

2.9

Grand Junction, CO

2.9

Knoxville, TN

2.9

Lawrence, KS

2.9

Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR

2.9

Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI

2.9

North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL

2.9

Oklahoma City, OK

2.9

Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA

2.9

Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL

2.9

St. George, UT

2.9

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA

2.9

Tuscaloosa, AL

2.9

Victoria, TX

2.9

Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL

3.0

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL

3.0

Chattanooga, TN-GA

3.0

Colorado Springs, CO

3.0

Columbus, OH

3.0

Danbury, CT

3.0

Dothan, AL

3.0

Grand Island, NE

3.0

Harrisonburg, VA

3.0

Jacksonville, FL

3.0

Joplin, MO

3.0

Lancaster, PA

3.0

Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA

3.0

Rapid City, SD

3.0

Reno, NV

3.0

Richmond, VA

3.0

State College, PA

3.0

Tallahassee, FL

3.0

Bangor, ME

3.1

Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA

3.1

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN

3.1

Gadsden, AL

3.1

Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC

3.1

Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC

3.1

Jackson, TN

3.1

Janesville-Beloit, WI

3.1

Kansas City, MO-KS

3.1

Killeen-Temple, TX

3.1

Lansing-East Lansing, MI

3.1

Lewiston-Auburn, ME

3.1

Longview, TX

3.1

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL

3.1

Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL

3.1

Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA

3.1

St. Louis, MO-IL

3.1

Spartanburg, SC

3.1

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL

3.1

Tulsa, OK

3.1

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

3.1

Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY

3.2

Athens-Clarke County, GA

3.2

California-Lexington Park, MD

3.2

Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA

3.2

Cheyenne, WY

3.2

Cleveland, TN

3.2

Columbia, SC

3.2

El Paso, TX

3.2

Fort Smith, AR-OK

3.2

Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA

3.2

Hot Springs, AR

3.2

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX

3.2

Ithaca, NY

3.2

Kokomo, IN

3.2

Laredo, TX

3.2

Lexington-Fayette, KY

3.2

Lima, OH

3.2

Racine, WI

3.2

Savannah, GA

3.2

Topeka, KS

3.2

Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC

3.2

Asheville, NC

3.3

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA

3.3

Bend-Redmond, OR

3.3

Bloomington, IL

3.3

Bloomington, IN

3.3

Dover, DE

3.3

Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL

3.3

Kalamazoo-Portage, MI

3.3

Kingston, NY

3.3

Lake Charles, LA

3.3

Lebanon, PA

3.3

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA

3.3

South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI

3.3

Springfield, IL

3.3

Springfield, OH

3.3

Valdosta, GA

3.3

Vallejo-Fairfield, CA

3.3

York-Hanover, PA

3.3

Akron, OH

3.4

Anniston-Oxford-Jacksonville, AL

3.4

Brunswick, GA

3.4

Champaign-Urbana, IL

3.4

Dayton, OH

3.4

Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL

3.4

Jackson, MI

3.4

Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA

3.4

Lawton, OK

3.4

Lynchburg, VA

3.4

Midland, MI

3.4

Providence-Warwick, RI-MA

3.4

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

3.4

Worcester, MA-CT

3.4

Altoona, PA

3.5

Barnstable Town, MA

3.5

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI

3.5

Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL

3.5

Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV

3.5

Johnson City, TN

3.5

Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL

3.5

Leominster-Gardner, MA

3.5

Mansfield, OH

3.5

Morgantown, WV

3.5

Morristown, TN

3.5

New Haven, CT

3.5

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA

3.5

Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI

3.5

Port St. Lucie, FL

3.5

Punta Gorda, FL

3.5

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA

3.5

Warner Robins, GA

3.5

Wichita, KS

3.5

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD

3.6

Bowling Green, KY

3.6

Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT

3.6

Carbondale-Marion, IL

3.6

Corpus Christi, TX

3.6

Duluth, MN-WI

3.6

Eugene, OR

3.6

Florence, SC

3.6

Glens Falls, NY

3.6

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT

3.6

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

3.6

Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN

3.6

Mobile, AL

3.6

Muncie, IN

3.6

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD

3.6

Raleigh, NC

3.6

Rochester, NY

3.6

Rome, GA

3.6

Salem, OR

3.6

Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL

3.6

Baton Rouge, LA

3.7

Casper, WY

3.7

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC

3.7

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC

3.7

Michigan City-La Porte, IN

3.7

Ocala, FL

3.7

Owensboro, KY

3.7

Panama City, FL

3.7

Pittsburgh, PA

3.7

Pueblo, CO

3.7

Salisbury, MD-DE

3.7

Syracuse, NY

3.7

Terre Haute, IN

3.7

Texarkana, TX-AR

3.7

Wilmington, NC

3.7

Albany, OR

3.8

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ

3.8

Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC

3.8

Battle Creek, MI

3.8

Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY

3.8

Canton-Massillon, OH

3.8

Carson City, NV

3.8

Clarksville, TN-KY

3.8

Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, KY

3.8

Elmira, NY

3.8

Erie, PA

3.8

Macon-Bibb County, GA

3.8

Memphis, TN-MS-AR

3.8

New Orleans-Metairie, LA

3.8

Niles-Benton Harbor, MI

3.8

Pittsfield, MA

3.8

Reading, PA

3.8

Santa Fe, NM

3.8

Springfield, MA-CT

3.8

Sumter, SC

3.8

Winston-Salem, NC

3.8

Binghamton, NY

3.9

Burlington, NC

3.9

Cleveland-Elyria, OH

3.9

Dalton, GA

3.9

Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC

3.9

Medford, OR

3.9

Muskegon, MI

3.9

Peoria, IL

3.9

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA

3.9

Utica-Rome, NY

3.9

Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA

4.0

Columbus, GA-AL

4.0

Hinesville, GA

4.0

Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV

4.0

Monroe, MI

4.0

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ

4.0

Williamsport, PA

4.0

Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ

4.1

Houma-Thibodaux, LA

4.1

Lafayette, LA

4.1

Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC

4.1

Redding, CA

4.1

Albany, GA

4.2

Greensboro-High Point, NC

4.2

Kankakee, IL

4.2

New Bern, NC

4.2

Albuquerque, NM

4.3

Bay City, MI

4.3

Charleston, WV

4.3

Chico, CA

4.3

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI

4.3

Grants Pass, OR

4.3

Hattiesburg, MS

4.3

Johnstown, PA

4.3

Prescott, AZ

4.3

Sebring, FL

4.3

Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ

4.3

Wheeling, WV-OH

4.3

Alexandria, LA

4.4

Goldsboro, NC

4.4

Jackson, MS

4.4

Shreveport-Bossier City, LA

4.4

Tucson, AZ

4.4

Waterbury, CT

4.4

Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX

4.5

Beckley, WV

4.5

Bremerton-Silverdale, WA

4.5

Danville, IL

4.5

Decatur, IL

4.5

Greenville, NC

4.5

Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH

4.5

New Bedford, MA

4.5

Walla Walla, WA

4.5

Watertown-Fort Drum, NY

4.5

Brownsville-Harlingen, TX

4.6

Cumberland, MD-WV

4.6

Hammond, LA

4.6

Homosassa Springs, FL

4.6

Monroe, LA

4.6

Parkersburg-Vienna, WV

4.6

Saginaw, MI

4.6

Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA

4.6

The Villages, FL

4.6

Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH

4.6

Bellingham, WA

4.7

East Stroudsburg, PA

4.7

Ocean City, NJ

4.7

Olympia-Tumwater, WA

4.7

Salinas, CA

4.7

Toledo, OH

4.7

Jacksonville, NC

4.8

Farmington, NM

4.9

Pine Bluff, AR

4.9

Wenatchee, WA

4.9

Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA

4.9

Flagstaff, AZ

5.0

Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS

5.0

McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX

5.0

Kennewick-Richland, WA

5.1

Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA

5.1

Stockton-Lodi, CA

5.1

Fayetteville, NC

5.2

Rockford, IL

5.2

Las Cruces, NM

5.3

Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA

5.3

Fairbanks, AK

5.5

Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ

5.5

Rocky Mount, NC

5.5

Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ

5.5

Anchorage, AK

5.6

Flint, MI

5.6

Modesto, CA

5.6

Longview, WA

6.2

Yuba City, CA

6.2

Madera, CA

6.3

Fresno, CA

6.4

Hanford-Corcoran, CA

6.7

Yakima, WA

6.8

Bakersfield, CA

7.2

Merced, CA

7.3

Visalia-Porterville, CA

8.1

El Centro, CA

16.4

Yuma, AZ

17.1

Of the 51 metropolitan areas with a 2010 Census population of 1 million or more, Austin-Round Rock, Texas, San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, California, and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California, had the lowest unemployment rates in May, 2.2 percent each. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, Michigan, had the highest jobless rate among the large areas, 4.3 percent.

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 2019.” We also have more charts and maps on metropolitan area employment and unemployment.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Ames, Iowa, and Burlington-South Burlington, Vermont, had lowest unemployment rates in May 2019 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2019/ames-iowa-and-burlington-south-burlington-vermont-had-lowest-unemployment-rates-in-may-2019.htm (visited December 04, 2024).

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