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December 2018 jobless rates down over the year in 250 of 388 metropolitan areas

February 08, 2019

Unemployment rates were lower in December 2018 than they were a year earlier in 250 of the 388 U.S. metropolitan areas, higher in 116 areas, and unchanged in 22 areas.

Over-the-year change in metropolitan area unemployment rates, December 2017 to December 2018
Metropolitan area December 2017 unemployment rate December 2018 unemployment rate(p) Over-the-year change (in percentage points)(p)

Ocean City, NJ

12.2% 10.0% -2.2 percentage point(s)

Watertown-Fort Drum, NY

7.3 5.6 -1.7

Elmira, NY

5.5 4.0 -1.5

Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ

6.7 5.3 -1.4

Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY

5.5 4.1 -1.4

Glens Falls, NY

5.8 4.4 -1.4

Rocky Mount, NC

6.3 5.0 -1.3

Sumter, SC

5.0 3.7 -1.3

Binghamton, NY

5.5 4.3 -1.2

Rochester, NY

5.0 3.8 -1.2

Syracuse, NY

5.2 4.0 -1.2

Utica-Rome, NY

5.5 4.3 -1.2

Dover, DE

4.2 3.1 -1.1

Flint, MI

5.7 4.6 -1.1

Kingston, NY

4.5 3.4 -1.1

Salisbury, MD-DE

6.3 5.2 -1.1

Tulsa, OK

4.1 3.0 -1.1

Bay City, MI

5.5 4.5 -1.0

Columbia, SC

4.1 3.1 -1.0

Florence, SC

4.7 3.7 -1.0

Ithaca, NY

4.0 3.0 -1.0

Lynchburg, VA

3.8 2.8 -1.0

Muskegon, MI

5.3 4.3 -1.0

Spartanburg, SC

3.9 2.9 -1.0

Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ

6.9 5.9 -1.0

Waterbury, CT NECTA

5.1 4.1 -1.0

Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY

4.2 3.3 -0.9

Anchorage, AK

6.5 5.6 -0.9

Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC

3.9 3.0 -0.9

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

5.7 4.8 -0.9

Roanoke, VA

3.4 2.5 -0.9

Bakersfield, CA

8.4 7.6 -0.8

Battle Creek, MI

4.9 4.1 -0.8

Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA

3.4 2.6 -0.8

Corpus Christi, TX

5.3 4.5 -0.8

Enid, OK

3.5 2.7 -0.8

Farmington, NM

6.1 5.3 -0.8

Hinesville, GA

4.8 4.0 -0.8

Kalamazoo-Portage, MI

4.5 3.7 -0.8

Midland, MI

4.6 3.8 -0.8

New Haven, CT NECTA

3.9 3.1 -0.8

Niles-Benton Harbor, MI

5.1 4.3 -0.8

Richmond, VA

3.6 2.8 -0.8

Saginaw, MI

5.3 4.5 -0.8

Staunton-Waynesboro, VA

3.2 2.4 -0.8

Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC

3.8 3.0 -0.8

Albuquerque, NM

5.1 4.4 -0.7

Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC

4.6 3.9 -0.7

Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX

6.6 5.9 -0.7

Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT NECTA

3.9 3.2 -0.7

Casper, WY

5.0 4.3 -0.7

Charleston-North Charleston, SC

3.5 2.8 -0.7

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC

4.1 3.4 -0.7

Charlottesville, VA

2.9 2.2 -0.7

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI

4.7 4.0 -0.7

Erie, PA

5.1 4.4 -0.7

Fairbanks, AK

6.5 5.8 -0.7

Goldsboro, NC

4.9 4.2 -0.7

Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI

3.5 2.8 -0.7

Greensboro-High Point, NC

4.6 3.9 -0.7

Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC

3.6 2.9 -0.7

Harrisonburg, VA

3.1 2.4 -0.7

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT NECTA

4.0 3.3 -0.7

Lansing-East Lansing, MI

3.9 3.2 -0.7

Lawton, OK

4.2 3.5 -0.7

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL

4.0 3.3 -0.7

New Bedford, MA NECTA

4.7 4.0 -0.7

Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI NECTA

4.0 3.3 -0.7

Oklahoma City, OK

3.5 2.8 -0.7

Brunswick, GA

4.4 3.8 -0.6

Charleston, WV

5.3 4.7 -0.6

Columbus, GA-AL

5.0 4.4 -0.6

Dalton, GA

5.6 5.0 -0.6

Fayetteville, NC

5.5 4.9 -0.6

Fresno, CA

8.1 7.5 -0.6

Gainesville, GA

3.5 2.9 -0.6

Greenville, NC

4.6 4.0 -0.6

Jackson, MI

4.4 3.8 -0.6

Las Cruces, NM

6.3 5.7 -0.6

Macon-Bibb County, GA

4.7 4.1 -0.6

Merced, CA

8.8 8.2 -0.6

Parkersburg-Vienna, WV

5.8 5.2 -0.6

Pittsburgh, PA

4.5 3.9 -0.6

Rapid City, SD

3.7 3.1 -0.6

Santa Fe, NM

4.6 4.0 -0.6

Valdosta, GA

4.3 3.7 -0.6

Visalia-Porterville, CA

10.2 9.6 -0.6

Warner Robins, GA

4.5 3.9 -0.6

Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA

3.2 2.6 -0.6

Williamsport, PA

5.4 4.8 -0.6

Athens-Clarke County, GA

3.9 3.4 -0.5

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA

4.1 3.6 -0.5

Barnstable Town, MA NECTA

4.3 3.8 -0.5

Beckley, WV

5.9 5.4 -0.5

California-Lexington Park, MD

3.6 3.1 -0.5

Cedar Rapids, IA

3.2 2.7 -0.5

Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA

3.8 3.3 -0.5

Cumberland, MD-WV

5.5 5.0 -0.5

Dubuque, IA

3.0 2.5 -0.5

Duluth, MN-WI

4.4 3.9 -0.5

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC

3.8 3.3 -0.5

Fort Smith, AR-OK

4.2 3.7 -0.5

Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA

3.8 3.3 -0.5

Jacksonville, NC

5.0 4.5 -0.5

Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL

4.1 3.6 -0.5

Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV

5.0 4.5 -0.5

Modesto, CA

6.8 6.3 -0.5

Ocala, FL

4.4 3.9 -0.5

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

4.2 3.7 -0.5

Raleigh, NC

3.8 3.3 -0.5

Sebring, FL

5.1 4.6 -0.5

Trenton, NJ

3.6 3.1 -0.5

Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH

6.4 5.9 -0.5

Wilmington, NC

4.3 3.8 -0.5

Winchester, VA-WV

3.0 2.5 -0.5

Winston-Salem, NC

4.1 3.6 -0.5

Ann Arbor, MI

3.1 2.7 -0.4

Asheville, NC

3.5 3.1 -0.4

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD

3.9 3.5 -0.4

Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH NECTA

2.8 2.4 -0.4

Burlington, NC

4.0 3.6 -0.4

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL

3.3 2.9 -0.4

Danbury, CT NECTA

3.1 2.7 -0.4

East Stroudsburg, PA

5.4 5.0 -0.4

Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV

3.9 3.5 -0.4

Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC

4.0 3.6 -0.4

Homosassa Springs, FL

5.3 4.9 -0.4

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX

4.3 3.9 -0.4

Johnstown, PA

5.3 4.9 -0.4

Madera, CA

7.5 7.1 -0.4

Napa, CA

3.7 3.3 -0.4

New Bern, NC

4.7 4.3 -0.4

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

4.0 3.6 -0.4

Odessa, TX

3.0 2.6 -0.4

Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL

3.7 3.3 -0.4

Port St. Lucie, FL

4.2 3.8 -0.4

Providence-Warwick, RI-MA NECTA

4.1 3.7 -0.4

Salinas, CA

8.5 8.1 -0.4

Savannah, GA

4.0 3.6 -0.4

Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL

4.3 3.9 -0.4

Sioux Falls, SD

2.9 2.5 -0.4

Springfield, MA-CT NECTA

3.7 3.3 -0.4

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

3.3 2.9 -0.4

York-Hanover, PA

3.8 3.4 -0.4

Albany, GA

4.9 4.6 -0.3

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ

4.3 4.0 -0.3

Altoona, PA

4.3 4.0 -0.3

Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA

4.7 4.4 -0.3

Gainesville, FL

3.3 3.0 -0.3

Gettysburg, PA

3.2 2.9 -0.3

Grand Forks, ND-MN

2.8 2.5 -0.3

Grand Island, NE

3.1 2.8 -0.3

Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH

5.2 4.9 -0.3

Iowa City, IA

2.1 1.8 -0.3

Jacksonville, FL

3.4 3.1 -0.3

Lancaster, PA

3.3 3.0 -0.3

Leominster-Gardner, MA NECTA

3.5 3.2 -0.3

Manchester, NH NECTA

2.2 1.9 -0.3

Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL

3.5 3.2 -0.3

Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL

3.3 3.0 -0.3

Owensboro, KY

3.8 3.5 -0.3

Redding, CA

5.1 4.8 -0.3

Reno, NV

3.7 3.4 -0.3

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA

5.6 5.3 -0.3

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA

4.3 4.0 -0.3

Stockton-Lodi, CA

6.4 6.1 -0.3

The Villages, FL

5.3 5.0 -0.3

Vallejo-Fairfield, CA

4.1 3.8 -0.3

Victoria, TX

3.9 3.6 -0.3

Wheeling, WV-OH

5.4 5.1 -0.3

Worcester, MA-CT NECTA

3.2 2.9 -0.3

Ames, IA

1.6 1.4 -0.2

Billings, MT

3.6 3.4 -0.2

Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL

3.4 3.2 -0.2

Carson City, NV

4.7 4.5 -0.2

Chattanooga, TN-GA

3.3 3.1 -0.2

Clarksville, TN-KY

3.7 3.5 -0.2

Coeur d'Alene, ID

3.9 3.7 -0.2

Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL

3.0 2.8 -0.2

Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL

3.8 3.6 -0.2

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA

2.6 2.4 -0.2

Fargo, ND-MN

2.5 2.3 -0.2

Great Falls, MT

3.9 3.7 -0.2

Hanford-Corcoran, CA

8.4 8.2 -0.2

Jackson, TN

3.4 3.2 -0.2

Jefferson City, MO

2.7 2.5 -0.2

Joplin, MO

2.9 2.7 -0.2

Kansas City, MO-KS

3.3 3.1 -0.2

Kennewick-Richland, WA

6.6 6.4 -0.2

Lebanon, PA

3.8 3.6 -0.2

Lincoln, NE

2.5 2.3 -0.2

Longview, TX

4.1 3.9 -0.2

Longview, WA

6.3 6.1 -0.2

Midland, TX

2.3 2.1 -0.2

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI

3.0 2.8 -0.2

Missoula, MT

3.9 3.7 -0.2

North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL

3.3 3.1 -0.2

Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA

4.0 3.8 -0.2

Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL

3.5 3.3 -0.2

Pocatello, ID

2.8 2.6 -0.2

Punta Gorda, FL

4.0 3.8 -0.2

Reading, PA

4.0 3.8 -0.2

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA

4.2 4.0 -0.2

Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA

3.8 3.6 -0.2

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA

2.7 2.5 -0.2

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

2.7 2.5 -0.2

San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA

3.0 2.8 -0.2

Santa Rosa, CA

2.8 2.6 -0.2

Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA

5.0 4.8 -0.2

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

4.0 3.8 -0.2

Sioux City, IA-NE-SD

3.0 2.8 -0.2

Springfield, MO

2.8 2.6 -0.2

St. Cloud, MN

3.6 3.4 -0.2

Tallahassee, FL

3.4 3.2 -0.2

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL

3.4 3.2 -0.2

Wausau, WI

2.4 2.2 -0.2

Yuba City, CA

7.7 7.5 -0.2

Appleton, WI

2.5 2.4 -0.1

Bismarck, ND

2.8 2.7 -0.1

Boise City, ID

2.7 2.6 -0.1

Brownsville-Harlingen, TX

5.9 5.8 -0.1

Burlington-South Burlington, VT NECTA

1.9 1.8 -0.1

Columbia, MO

2.2 2.1 -0.1

Decatur, AL

3.3 3.2 -0.1

Dover-Durham, NH-ME NECTA

2.0 1.9 -0.1

El Paso, TX

4.1 4.0 -0.1

Green Bay, WI

2.5 2.4 -0.1

Idaho Falls, ID

2.3 2.2 -0.1

Johnson City, TN

3.5 3.4 -0.1

Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA

3.4 3.3 -0.1

Knoxville, TN

2.9 2.8 -0.1

Madison, WI

2.0 1.9 -0.1

Mankato-North Mankato, MN

2.6 2.5 -0.1

Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI

2.8 2.7 -0.1

Monroe, MI

4.1 4.0 -0.1

Morristown, TN

3.3 3.2 -0.1

Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA

5.8 5.7 -0.1

Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN

2.4 2.3 -0.1

Ogden-Clearfield, UT

3.0 2.9 -0.1

Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA

2.8 2.7 -0.1

Oshkosh-Neenah, WI

2.4 2.3 -0.1

Pittsfield, MA NECTA

3.9 3.8 -0.1

Portsmouth, NH-ME NECTA

2.1 2.0 -0.1

Racine, WI

3.2 3.1 -0.1

Rochester, MN

2.9 2.8 -0.1

Rome, GA

4.5 4.4 -0.1

San Diego-Carlsbad, CA

3.3 3.2 -0.1

Sheboygan, WI

2.2 2.1 -0.1

State College, PA

3.2 3.1 -0.1

Wichita, KS

3.5 3.4 -0.1

Austin-Round Rock, TX

2.7 2.7 0.0

Bellingham, WA

5.0 5.0 0.0

Bremerton-Silverdale, WA

4.9 4.9 0.0

Cleveland, TN

3.0 3.0 0.0

Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL

3.3 3.3 0.0

Eau Claire, WI

2.8 2.8 0.0

Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO

2.7 2.7 0.0

Fond du Lac, WI

2.2 2.2 0.0

Houma-Thibodaux, LA

4.2 4.2 0.0

Janesville-Beloit, WI

2.8 2.8 0.0

La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN

2.4 2.4 0.0

Lexington-Fayette, KY

2.9 2.9 0.0

Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR

3.3 3.3 0.0

Memphis, TN-MS-AR

3.7 3.7 0.0

Olympia-Tumwater, WA

5.0 5.0 0.0

Sherman-Denison, TX

3.0 3.0 0.0

St. Joseph, MO-KS

2.8 2.8 0.0

St. Louis, MO-IL

3.4 3.4 0.0

Tuscaloosa, AL

3.2 3.2 0.0

Tyler, TX

3.5 3.5 0.0

Waco, TX

3.3 3.3 0.0

Walla Walla, WA

5.4 5.4 0.0

Abilene, TX

3.1 3.2 0.1

Akron, OH

4.8 4.9 0.1

Amarillo, TX

2.5 2.6 0.1

Birmingham-Hoover, AL

3.1 3.2 0.1

Bowling Green, KY

3.2 3.3 0.1

Cleveland-Elyria, OH

4.8 4.9 0.1

College Station-Bryan, TX

2.7 2.8 0.1

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

3.2 3.3 0.1

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI

4.1 4.2 0.1

Dothan, AL

3.6 3.7 0.1

Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, KY

3.6 3.7 0.1

Huntsville, AL

2.9 3.0 0.1

Jonesboro, AR

3.0 3.1 0.1

Lafayette, LA

4.2 4.3 0.1

Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN

2.8 2.9 0.1

Lake Charles, LA

3.2 3.3 0.1

Lawrence, KS

2.6 2.7 0.1

Lubbock, TX

2.7 2.8 0.1

Mansfield, OH

5.3 5.4 0.1

McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX

6.6 6.7 0.1

Mobile, AL

4.1 4.2 0.1

Morgantown, WV

3.9 4.0 0.1

Provo-Orem, UT

2.5 2.6 0.1

Salt Lake City, UT

2.7 2.8 0.1

Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA

5.9 6.0 0.1

St. George, UT

3.2 3.3 0.1

Wenatchee, WA

6.0 6.1 0.1

Albany, OR

4.4 4.6 0.2

Auburn-Opelika, AL

3.0 3.2 0.2

Bend-Redmond, OR

4.3 4.5 0.2

Canton-Massillon, OH

5.0 5.2 0.2

Cheyenne, WY

3.6 3.8 0.2

Chico, CA

5.1 5.3 0.2

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN

3.8 4.0 0.2

Columbus, IN

2.3 2.5 0.2

Corvallis, OR

2.8 3.0 0.2

Eugene, OR

4.1 4.3 0.2

Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL

3.8 4.0 0.2

Gadsden, AL

3.5 3.7 0.2

Hot Springs, AR

3.9 4.1 0.2

Lewiston, ID-WA

3.1 3.3 0.2

Logan, UT-ID

2.3 2.5 0.2

Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN

3.3 3.5 0.2

Manhattan, KS

2.5 2.7 0.2

Montgomery, AL

3.3 3.5 0.2

New Orleans-Metairie, LA

3.7 3.9 0.2

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA

3.6 3.8 0.2

San Angelo, TX

2.9 3.1 0.2

San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX

3.0 3.2 0.2

Topeka, KS

3.1 3.3 0.2

Wichita Falls, TX

3.1 3.3 0.2

Yakima, WA

8.1 8.3 0.2

Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA

5.8 6.0 0.2

Anniston-Oxford-Jacksonville, AL

3.8 4.1 0.3

Columbus, OH

3.7 4.0 0.3

El Centro, CA

17.0 17.3 0.3

Evansville, IN-KY

2.8 3.1 0.3

Fort Wayne, IN

2.7 3.0 0.3

Hattiesburg, MS

3.8 4.1 0.3

Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN

2.8 3.1 0.3

Killeen-Temple, TX

3.6 3.9 0.3

Lima, OH

4.4 4.7 0.3

Muncie, IN

3.6 3.9 0.3

South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI

3.4 3.7 0.3

Springfield, OH

4.5 4.8 0.3

Toledo, OH

4.8 5.1 0.3

Alexandria, LA

4.5 4.9 0.4

Baton Rouge, LA

3.5 3.9 0.4

Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL

4.1 4.5 0.4

Dayton, OH

4.2 4.6 0.4

Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS

4.6 5.0 0.4

Jackson, MS

3.7 4.1 0.4

Laredo, TX

3.4 3.8 0.4

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

3.8 4.2 0.4

Pine Bluff, AR

4.9 5.3 0.4

Salem, OR

3.9 4.3 0.4

Shreveport-Bossier City, LA

4.3 4.7 0.4

Bloomington, IN

3.1 3.6 0.5

Grants Pass, OR

5.2 5.7 0.5

Hammond, LA

4.4 4.9 0.5

Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI

1.8 2.3 0.5

Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ

5.8 6.3 0.5

Medford, OR

4.2 4.7 0.5

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ

4.0 4.5 0.5

Portland-South Portland, ME NECTA

2.0 2.5 0.5

Prescott, AZ

4.3 4.8 0.5

Urban Honolulu, HI

1.7 2.2 0.5

Kokomo, IN

3.0 3.6 0.6

Michigan City-La Porte, IN

4.1 4.7 0.6

Tucson, AZ

4.2 4.8 0.6

Bangor, ME NECTA

2.6 3.3 0.7

Champaign-Urbana, IL

3.7 4.4 0.7

Danville, IL

5.7 6.4 0.7

Elkhart-Goshen, IN

2.1 2.8 0.7

Fort Collins, CO

2.5 3.2 0.7

Lewiston-Auburn, ME NECTA

2.3 3.0 0.7

Monroe, LA

4.2 4.9 0.7

Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ

5.4 6.1 0.7

Terre Haute, IN

3.9 4.6 0.7

Boulder, CO

2.5 3.3 0.8

Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO

2.9 3.7 0.8

Grand Junction, CO

4.1 4.9 0.8

Greeley, CO

2.7 3.5 0.8

Texarkana, TX-AR

4.0 4.8 0.8

Bloomington, IL

3.6 4.5 0.9

Carbondale-Marion, IL

4.3 5.2 0.9

Flagstaff, AZ

5.5 6.4 0.9

Kankakee, IL

5.0 5.9 0.9

Peoria, IL

4.8 5.7 0.9

Yuma, AZ

14.4 15.4 1.0

Colorado Springs, CO

3.4 4.5 1.1

Decatur, IL

5.1 6.2 1.1

Springfield, IL

3.9 5.0 1.1

Pueblo, CO

4.6 5.9 1.3

Rockford, IL

4.9 6.3 1.4

Panama City, FL

3.8 6.0 2.2
Footnotes:

(p) = Preliminary.

Note: U.S. unemployment rate, December 2018 = 3.7 percent.

The largest over-the-year unemployment rate decrease occurred in Ocean City, New Jersey (–2.2 percentage points). Twenty-five additional areas had rate decreases of at least 1.0 percentage point. Panama City, Florida, had the largest over-the-year rate increase in December (+2.2 percentage points).

Ames, Iowa (1.4 percent), had the lowest unemployment rate among the metropolitan areas in December 2018, while El Centro, California (17.3 percent), and Yuma, Arizona (15.4 percent), had the highest jobless rates. A total of 193 areas had December unemployment rates below the U.S. rate of 3.7 percent, 179 areas had rates above it, and 16 areas had rates equal to that of the nation.

These data are from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program and are not seasonally adjusted. Data for the most recent month are preliminary. Areas in the six New England states are Metropolitan New England City and Town Areas (NECTAs), while areas in other states are county-based. To learn more, see “Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment — December 2018.” Also see Charts related to the latest "Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment" news release.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, December 2018 jobless rates down over the year in 250 of 388 metropolitan areas at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2019/december-2018-jobless-rates-down-over-the-year-in-250-of-388-metropolitan-areas.htm (visited March 28, 2024).

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