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El Centro, California, had the highest unemployment rate in December 2020

February 12, 2021

In December, El Centro, California, had the highest unemployment rate, at 17.7 percent. Ames, Iowa, had the lowest unemployment rate, at 2.1 percent. The national unemployment rate in December was 6.5 percent, up from 3.4 percent a year earlier. A total of 265 areas had December unemployment rates below the 6.5 percent national rate, 114 areas had rates above it, and 10 areas had rates equal to that of the nation.

Metropolitan area unemployment rates, December 2020
Metropolitan area December 2020 unemployment rate

El Centro, CA

17.7%

Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI

13.0

Yuma, AZ

12.4

Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ

12.0

Visalia-Porterville, CA

11.8

McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX

11.7

Ocean City, NJ

11.6

Merced, CA

11.5

Odessa, TX

11.5

Salinas, CA

11.4

Bakersfield, CA

11.3

Pueblo, CO

11.3

Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX

11.0

Hanford-Corcoran, CA

11.0

Yuba City, CA

10.7

Stockton-Lodi, CA

10.6

Fresno, CA

10.4

Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV

10.4

Brownsville-Harlingen, TX

10.3

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI

10.1

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

9.9

Madera, CA

9.9

Modesto, CA

9.9

Flagstaff, AZ

9.6

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA

9.1

Waterbury, CT

9.1

Corpus Christi, TX

9.0

Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ

9.0

Farmington, NM

8.9

Vallejo-Fairfield, CA

8.8

Colorado Springs, CO

8.6

Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO

8.5

Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI

8.5

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA

8.5

Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ

8.4

New Bedford, MA

8.4

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

8.4

Greeley, CO

8.3

Pittsfield, MA

8.3

Chico, CA

8.2

Decatur, IL

8.2

Fayetteville, NC

8.2

Grand Junction, CO

8.2

New Orleans-Metairie, LA

8.2

Barnstable Town, MA

8.1

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI

8.1

El Paso, TX

8.1

Hammond, LA

8.1

Laredo, TX

8.1

Springfield, MA-CT

8.1

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX

8.0

Leominster-Gardner, MA

8.0

Longview, TX

8.0

Midland, TX

8.0

Redding, CA

8.0

San Diego-Carlsbad, CA

8.0

Urban Honolulu, HI

8.0

Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA

7.9

Rocky Mount, NC

7.9

Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA

7.9

Yakima, WA

7.9

East Stroudsburg, PA

7.8

Erie, PA

7.8

Victoria, TX

7.8

Lake Charles, LA

7.7

Longview, WA

7.7

Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT

7.6

Providence-Warwick, RI-MA

7.6

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA

7.6

Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA

7.6

Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY

7.5

Las Cruces, NM

7.5

Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA

7.5

Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA

7.5

Fort Collins, CO

7.4

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT

7.4

Memphis, TN-MS-AR

7.4

Tucson, AZ

7.4

Albuquerque, NM

7.3

Johnstown, PA

7.3

Napa, CA

7.3

Rockford, IL

7.3

Bellingham, WA

7.2

Santa Fe, NM

7.2

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

7.2

Williamsport, PA

7.2

New Haven, CT

7.1

Albany, GA

7.0

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA

7.0

Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH

7.0

Boulder, CO

6.9

Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL

6.9

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ

6.9

Wenatchee, WA

6.9

Worcester, MA-CT

6.9

Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA

6.9

Bend-Redmond, OR

6.8

Peoria, IL

6.8

Wichita Falls, TX

6.8

Beckley, WV

6.7

Clarksville, TN-KY

6.7

Elmira, NY

6.7

Grants Pass, OR

6.7

Greensboro-High Point, NC

6.7

Kennewick-Richland, WA

6.7

Killeen-Temple, TX

6.7

Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL

6.7

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL

6.7

Muskegon, MI

6.7

San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA

6.7

Cumberland, MD-WV

6.6

Homosassa Springs, FL

6.6

Pittsburgh, PA

6.6

Shreveport-Bossier City, LA

6.6

Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH

6.5

Casper, WY

6.5

Johnson City, TN

6.5

Olympia-Tumwater, WA

6.5

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

6.5

Prescott, AZ

6.5

Rochester, NY

6.5

Santa Rosa, CA

6.5

Walla Walla, WA

6.5

Wheeling, WV-OH

6.5

Charleston, WV

6.4

Danbury, CT

6.4

Danville, IL

6.4

Jackson, TN

6.4

Kankakee, IL

6.4

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

6.4

Parkersburg-Vienna, WV

6.4

San Angelo, TX

6.4

San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX

6.4

Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ

6.4

Syracuse, NY

6.4

Tyler, TX

6.4

Utica-Rome, NY

6.4

Altoona, PA

6.3

Bremerton-Silverdale, WA

6.3

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

6.3

Sebring, FL

6.3

Springfield, IL

6.3

Watertown-Fort Drum, NY

6.3

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ

6.2

Binghamton, NY

6.2

Cleveland-Elyria, OH

6.2

Flint, MI

6.2

Goldsboro, NC

6.2

Greenville, NC

6.2

Jacksonville, NC

6.2

Lafayette, LA

6.2

Baton Rouge, LA

6.1

Cleveland, TN

6.1

Coeur d'Alene, ID

6.1

Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS

6.1

Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA

6.1

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA

6.1

Racine, WI

6.1

Albany, OR

6.0

Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC

6.0

Macon-Bibb County, GA

6.0

Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI

6.0

Reading, PA

6.0

Saginaw, MI

6.0

Salisbury, MD-DE

6.0

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

6.0

Trenton, NJ

6.0

Burlington, NC

5.9

Glens Falls, NY

5.9

Houma-Thibodaux, LA

5.9

Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH

5.9

Medford, OR

5.9

Michigan City-La Porte, IN

5.9

Morristown, TN

5.9

New Bern, NC

5.9

St. Louis, MO-IL

5.9

The Villages, FL

5.9

Waco, TX

5.9

Winston-Salem, NC

5.9

Battle Creek, MI

5.8

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC

5.8

Columbus, GA-AL

5.8

Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, KY

5.8

Pine Bluff, AR

5.8

Salem, OR

5.8

Anchorage, AK

5.7

Bay City, MI

5.7

Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA

5.7

Carson City, NV

5.7

Duluth, MN-WI

5.7

Eugene, OR

5.7

Monroe, LA

5.7

Texarkana, TX-AR

5.7

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD

5.6

Brunswick, GA

5.6

Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL

5.6

Knoxville, TN

5.6

Lubbock, TX

5.6

Mansfield, OH

5.6

Ocala, FL

5.6

Savannah, GA

5.6

Tulsa, OK

5.6

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

5.6

Asheville, NC

5.5

Lebanon, PA

5.5

Mobile, AL

5.5

Toledo, OH

5.5

Wilmington, NC

5.5

Abilene, TX

5.4

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA

5.4

Carbondale-Marion, IL

5.4

Chattanooga, TN-GA

5.4

Dalton, GA

5.4

Jackson, MS

5.4

Janesville-Beloit, WI

5.4

Kingston, NY

5.4

Niles-Benton Harbor, MI

5.4

Owensboro, KY

5.4

Sherman-Denison, TX

5.4

Sumter, SC

5.4

Akron, OH

5.3

Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY

5.3

Bowling Green, KY

5.3

Canton-Massillon, OH

5.3

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL

5.3

Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA

5.3

Tallahassee, FL

5.3

Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC

5.3

Bloomington, IL

5.2

Dover, DE

5.2

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC

5.2

Hattiesburg, MS

5.2

Hinesville, GA

5.2

Jackson, MI

5.2

Joplin, MO

5.2

Lima, OH

5.2

Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN

5.2

Port St. Lucie, FL

5.2

Raleigh, NC

5.2

Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL

5.2

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL

5.2

Valdosta, GA

5.2

York-Hanover, PA

5.2

Austin-Round Rock, TX

5.1

Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL

5.1

Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL

5.1

Eau Claire, WI

5.1

Enid, OK

5.1

Hot Springs, AR

5.1

Alexandria, LA

5.0

Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC

5.0

Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA

5.0

Champaign-Urbana, IL

5.0

College Station-Bryan, TX

5.0

Dayton, OH

5.0

Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV

5.0

Kokomo, IN

5.0

Lawton, OK

5.0

Lexington-Fayette, KY

5.0

Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN

5.0

Panama City, FL

5.0

Punta Gorda, FL

5.0

Reno, NV

5.0

Richmond, VA

5.0

Springfield, OH

5.0

Amarillo, TX

4.9

Kansas City, MO-KS

4.9

Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL

4.9

South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI

4.9

Springfield, MO

4.9

St. Joseph, MO-KS

4.9

Warner Robins, GA

4.9

Florence, SC

4.8

Jacksonville, FL

4.8

Lynchburg, VA

4.8

Montgomery, AL

4.8

Oklahoma City, OK

4.8

Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL

4.8

Rome, GA

4.8

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN

4.7

Columbus, OH

4.7

Kalamazoo-Portage, MI

4.7

Lancaster, PA

4.7

Lewiston-Auburn, ME

4.7

Monroe, MI

4.7

North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL

4.7

Spartanburg, SC

4.7

St. Cloud, MN

4.7

Fairbanks, AK

4.6

Green Bay, WI

4.6

Morgantown, WV

4.6

Pocatello, ID

4.6

Athens-Clarke County, GA

4.5

Boise City, ID

4.5

Lewiston, ID-WA

4.5

Midland, MI

4.5

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI

4.5

Missoula, MT

4.5

Anniston-Oxford-Jacksonville, AL

4.4

California-Lexington Park, MD

4.4

Fort Smith, AR-OK

4.4

Gainesville, FL

4.4

Grand Island, NE

4.4

Great Falls, MT

4.4

Jefferson City, MO

4.4

Lansing-East Lansing, MI

4.4

Roanoke, VA

4.4

State College, PA

4.4

Terre Haute, IN

4.4

Bangor, ME

4.3

Charleston-North Charleston, SC

4.3

Columbia, SC

4.3

Fond du Lac, WI

4.3

Ithaca, NY

4.3

Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR

4.3

Muncie, IN

4.3

Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL

4.3

Oshkosh-Neenah, WI

4.3

Portland-South Portland, ME

4.3

Twin Falls, ID

4.3

Wichita, KS

4.3

Appleton, WI

4.2

Columbia, MO

4.2

Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL

4.2

Gadsden, AL

4.2

Gettysburg, PA

4.2

Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI

4.2

La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN

4.2

Sheboygan, WI

4.2

Cheyenne, WY

4.1

Madison, WI

4.1

Tuscaloosa, AL

4.1

Wausau, WI

4.1

Billings, MT

4.0

Charlottesville, VA

4.0

Corvallis, OR

4.0

Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC

4.0

Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN

4.0

Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA

3.9

Fort Wayne, IN

3.9

Lawrence, KS

3.9

Rochester, MN

3.9

Topeka, KS

3.9

Cedar Rapids, IA

3.8

Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC

3.8

Mankato-North Mankato, MN

3.8

St. George, UT

3.8

Dover-Durham, NH-ME

3.7

Evansville, IN-KY

3.7

Gainesville, GA

3.7

Harrisonburg, VA

3.7

Manchester, NH

3.7

Portsmouth, NH-ME

3.7

Staunton-Waynesboro, VA

3.7

Winchester, VA-WV

3.7

Ann Arbor, MI

3.6

Grand Forks, ND-MN

3.6

Birmingham-Hoover, AL

3.5

Bismarck, ND

3.5

Dothan, AL

3.5

Dubuque, IA

3.5

Idaho Falls, ID

3.5

Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN

3.5

Salt Lake City, UT

3.5

Bloomington, IN

3.4

Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL

3.4

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA

3.4

Elkhart-Goshen, IN

3.4

Rapid City, SD

3.4

Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA

3.4

Columbus, IN

3.3

Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL

3.3

Jonesboro, AR

3.3

Manhattan, KS

3.3

Fargo, ND-MN

3.1

Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO

3.1

Ogden-Clearfield, UT

3.1

Sioux City, IA-NE-SD

3.1

Auburn-Opelika, AL

3.0

Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA

3.0

Decatur, AL

2.9

Lincoln, NE

2.9

Huntsville, AL

2.8

Iowa City, IA

2.8

Provo-Orem, UT

2.8

Sioux Falls, SD

2.8

Burlington-South Burlington, VT

2.6

Logan, UT-ID

2.4

Ames, IA

2.1

Unemployment rates were higher in December than a year earlier in 379 of the 389 metropolitan areas, lower in 7 areas, and unchanged in 3 areas. The largest over-the-year unemployment rate increase occurred in Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, Hawaii (+10.8 percentage points). The largest over-the-year unemployment rate decrease in December occurred in Yuma, Arizona (−1.9 percentage points), followed by Fairbanks, Alaska (−0.7 percentage point), and Watertown-Fort Drum, New York (−0.6 percentage point).

Change in metropolitan area unemployment rates, December 2019 to December 2020
Metropolitan area 12-month change

Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI

10.8 percentage point(s)

Odessa, TX

8.6

Pueblo, CO

7.7

Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV

6.9

Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ

6.5

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI

6.3

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

6.3

Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO

6.2

Greeley, CO

6.0

Midland, TX

6.0

Urban Honolulu, HI

5.9

Colorado Springs, CO

5.8

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA

5.6

Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX

5.5

Vallejo-Fairfield, CA

5.5

Fort Collins, CO

5.4

Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI

5.3

San Diego-Carlsbad, CA

5.2

Grand Junction, CO

5.1

Leominster-Gardner, MA

5.1

Springfield, MA-CT

5.1

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

5.0

Pittsfield, MA

5.0

Stockton-Lodi, CA

5.0

Waterbury, CT

5.0

Boulder, CO

4.9

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI

4.9

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA

4.8

Barnstable Town, MA

4.7

Corpus Christi, TX

4.7

McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX

4.7

Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA

4.7

Brownsville-Harlingen, TX

4.6

New Bedford, MA

4.6

El Paso, TX

4.5

Laredo, TX

4.5

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL

4.5

Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH

4.4

Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT

4.4

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX

4.4

Longview, TX

4.4

Napa, CA

4.4

Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL

4.4

Providence-Warwick, RI-MA

4.4

Victoria, TX

4.4

Modesto, CA

4.3

Worcester, MA-CT

4.3

Bakersfield, CA

4.2

Salinas, CA

4.2

San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA

4.2

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

4.2

Yuba City, CA

4.2

Flagstaff, AZ

4.1

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT

4.1

New Haven, CT

4.1

Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA

4.1

Santa Rosa, CA

4.1

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA

4.0

Redding, CA

3.9

Wichita Falls, TX

3.9

Chico, CA

3.8

Fayetteville, NC

3.8

Danbury, CT

3.7

New Orleans-Metairie, LA

3.7

Rocky Mount, NC

3.7

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

3.7

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA

3.7

Santa Fe, NM

3.7

Bend-Redmond, OR

3.6

Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL

3.6

Memphis, TN-MS-AR

3.6

Merced, CA

3.6

San Angelo, TX

3.6

San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX

3.6

Fresno, CA

3.5

Albany, GA

3.4

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

3.4

Tucson, AZ

3.4

Farmington, NM

3.3

Greensboro-High Point, NC

3.3

Hanford-Corcoran, CA

3.3

Killeen-Temple, TX

3.3

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ

3.3

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA

3.3

Tyler, TX

3.3

Albuquerque, NM

3.2

Jackson, TN

3.2

Lake Charles, LA

3.2

Madera, CA

3.2

Johnson City, TN

3.1

Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ

3.1

Lubbock, TX

3.1

Decatur, IL

3.0

Macon-Bibb County, GA

3.0

Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ

3.0

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

3.0

Clarksville, TN-KY

2.9

Cleveland, TN

2.9

Muskegon, MI

2.9

Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN

2.9

Savannah, GA

2.9

Trenton, NJ

2.9

Waco, TX

2.9

Asheville, NC

2.8

Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY

2.8

Erie, PA

2.8

Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC

2.8

Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA

2.8

Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI

2.8

Abilene, TX

2.7

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA

2.7

Austin-Round Rock, TX

2.7

Brunswick, GA

2.7

Burlington, NC

2.7

Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC

2.7

Cleveland-Elyria, OH

2.7

Goldsboro, NC

2.7

Grants Pass, OR

2.7

Knoxville, TN

2.7

Medford, OR

2.7

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

2.7

Salem, OR

2.7

Tallahassee, FL

2.7

Winston-Salem, NC

2.7

Albany, OR

2.6

Amarillo, TX

2.6

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD

2.6

Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL

2.6

Eugene, OR

2.6

Greenville, NC

2.6

Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA

2.6

St. Louis, MO-IL

2.6

Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC

2.6

Bellingham, WA

2.5

Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL

2.5

College Station-Bryan, TX

2.5

Columbus, GA-AL

2.5

Hammond, LA

2.5

Homosassa Springs, FL

2.5

Morristown, TN

2.5

New Bern, NC

2.5

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

2.5

Prescott, AZ

2.5

Richmond, VA

2.5

Sherman-Denison, TX

2.5

Spartanburg, SC

2.5

Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA

2.5

Springfield, IL

2.5

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL

2.5

Tulsa, OK

2.5

Visalia-Porterville, CA

2.5

Battle Creek, MI

2.4

Bremerton-Silverdale, WA

2.4

Ocala, FL

2.4

Sebring, FL

2.4

Sumter, SC

2.4

Wilmington, NC

2.4

Carson City, NV

2.3

Casper, WY

2.3

Charleston-North Charleston, SC

2.3

Coeur d'Alene, ID

2.3

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC

2.3

Florence, SC

2.3

Jacksonville, NC

2.3

Mobile, AL

2.3

Racine, WI

2.3

Raleigh, NC

2.3

Chattanooga, TN-GA

2.2

Elmira, NY

2.2

Flint, MI

2.2

Jacksonville, FL

2.2

Las Cruces, NM

2.2

Longview, WA

2.2

Montgomery, AL

2.2

Olympia-Tumwater, WA

2.2

Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL

2.2

Reno, NV

2.2

Valdosta, GA

2.2

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL

2.1

Columbia, SC

2.1

East Stroudsburg, PA

2.1

Hinesville, GA

2.1

North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL

2.1

Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL

2.1

Peoria, IL

2.1

Pittsburgh, PA

2.1

Port St. Lucie, FL

2.1

Rochester, NY

2.1

Warner Robins, GA

2.1

Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC

2.0

Corvallis, OR

2.0

Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, KY

2.0

Enid, OK

2.0

Jackson, MI

2.0

Joplin, MO

2.0

Lewiston-Auburn, ME

2.0

Lexington-Fayette, KY

2.0

Oklahoma City, OK

2.0

Panama City, FL

2.0

Portland-South Portland, ME

2.0

Punta Gorda, FL

2.0

Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA

2.0

Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL

2.0

The Villages, FL

2.0

Athens-Clarke County, GA

1.9

Bloomington, IL

1.9

Boise City, ID

1.9

Charlottesville, VA

1.9

Gainesville, FL

1.9

Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC

1.9

Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV

1.9

Janesville-Beloit, WI

1.9

Lynchburg, VA

1.9

Pocatello, ID

1.9

Roanoke, VA

1.9

Saginaw, MI

1.9

St. Joseph, MO-KS

1.9

Syracuse, NY

1.9

Texarkana, TX-AR

1.9

California-Lexington Park, MD

1.8

Champaign-Urbana, IL

1.8

Columbia, MO

1.8

Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL

1.8

Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI

1.8

Kansas City, MO-KS

1.8

Madison, WI

1.8

Michigan City-La Porte, IN

1.8

Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL

1.8

Niles-Benton Harbor, MI

1.8

Owensboro, KY

1.8

Springfield, MO

1.8

Tuscaloosa, AL

1.8

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ

1.7

Carbondale-Marion, IL

1.7

Charleston, WV

1.7

Cumberland, MD-WV

1.7

Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC

1.7

Kalamazoo-Portage, MI

1.7

Lansing-East Lansing, MI

1.7

Lawton, OK

1.7

Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN

1.7

Monroe, MI

1.7

Portsmouth, NH-ME

1.7

Utica-Rome, NY

1.7

Walla Walla, WA

1.7

Williamsport, PA

1.7

Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY

1.6

Bangor, ME

1.6

Baton Rouge, LA

1.6

Dover-Durham, NH-ME

1.6

Eau Claire, WI

1.6

Fond du Lac, WI

1.6

Green Bay, WI

1.6

Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA

1.6

Harrisonburg, VA

1.6

Hot Springs, AR

1.6

Jefferson City, MO

1.6

Kingston, NY

1.6

Manchester, NH

1.6

Reading, PA

1.6

Staunton-Waynesboro, VA

1.6

Toledo, OH

1.6

Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH

1.6

Ann Arbor, MI

1.5

Bay City, MI

1.5

Beckley, WV

1.5

Columbus, OH

1.5

Dover, DE

1.5

Gainesville, GA

1.5

Kokomo, IN

1.5

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI

1.5

Oshkosh-Neenah, WI

1.5

Rockford, IL

1.5

Sheboygan, WI

1.5

South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI

1.5

Twin Falls, ID

1.5

Wenatchee, WA

1.5

Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA

1.5

Anniston-Oxford-Jacksonville, AL

1.4

Appleton, WI

1.4

Bowling Green, KY

1.4

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN

1.4

Dayton, OH

1.4

Gadsden, AL

1.4

Grand Island, NE

1.4

Houma-Thibodaux, LA

1.4

Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN

1.4

Johnstown, PA

1.4

La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN

1.4

Lancaster, PA

1.4

Lebanon, PA

1.4

Lima, OH

1.4

Salt Lake City, UT

1.4

Shreveport-Bossier City, LA

1.4

Wausau, WI

1.4

Winchester, VA-WV

1.4

York-Hanover, PA

1.4

Akron, OH

1.3

Altoona, PA

1.3

Binghamton, NY

1.3

Birmingham-Hoover, AL

1.3

Lafayette, LA

1.3

Lawrence, KS

1.3

Lewiston, ID-WA

1.3

St. George, UT

1.3

Columbus, IN

1.2

Danville, IL

1.2

Duluth, MN-WI

1.2

Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH

1.2

Idaho Falls, ID

1.2

Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR

1.2

Mankato-North Mankato, MN

1.2

Midland, MI

1.2

Parkersburg-Vienna, WV

1.2

Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ

1.2

Bismarck, ND

1.1

Fort Wayne, IN

1.1

Grand Forks, ND-MN

1.1

Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN

1.1

Ocean City, NJ

1.1

Rome, GA

1.1

Salisbury, MD-DE

1.1

Wichita, KS

1.1

Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL

1.0

Dothan, AL

1.0

Fargo, ND-MN

1.0

Great Falls, MT

1.0

Ithaca, NY

1.0

Kankakee, IL

1.0

Mansfield, OH

1.0

Missoula, MT

1.0

Morgantown, WV

1.0

Ogden-Clearfield, UT

1.0

St. Cloud, MN

1.0

Billings, MT

0.9

Burlington-South Burlington, VT

0.9

Evansville, IN-KY

0.9

Fort Smith, AR-OK

0.9

Gettysburg, PA

0.9

Jackson, MS

0.9

Kennewick-Richland, WA

0.9

Manhattan, KS

0.9

Muncie, IN

0.9

Rochester, MN

0.9

Springfield, OH

0.9

State College, PA

0.9

Auburn-Opelika, AL

0.8

Canton-Massillon, OH

0.8

Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA

0.8

Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO

0.8

Glens Falls, NY

0.8

Hattiesburg, MS

0.8

Pine Bluff, AR

0.8

Provo-Orem, UT

0.8

Wheeling, WV-OH

0.8

Bloomington, IN

0.7

Cheyenne, WY

0.7

Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL

0.7

Elkhart-Goshen, IN

0.7

Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS

0.7

Huntsville, AL

0.7

Jonesboro, AR

0.7

Logan, UT-ID

0.7

Topeka, KS

0.7

Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA

0.6

Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA

0.6

Cedar Rapids, IA

0.6

Decatur, AL

0.6

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA

0.6

El Centro, CA

0.6

Lincoln, NE

0.6

Dalton, GA

0.5

Iowa City, IA

0.5

Terre Haute, IN

0.5

Anchorage, AK

0.4

Dubuque, IA

0.4

Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL

0.3

Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA

0.3

Monroe, LA

0.1

Ames, IA

0.0

Sioux City, IA-NE-SD

0.0

Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA

0.0

Yakima, WA

-0.1

Sioux Falls, SD

-0.2

Rapid City, SD

-0.3

Alexandria, LA

-0.4

Watertown-Fort Drum, NY

-0.6

Fairbanks, AK

-0.7

Yuma, AZ

-1.9

Of the 51 metropolitan areas with a 2010 Census population of 1 million or more, Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, Nevada had the highest December unemployment rate, at 10.4 percent, as well as the largest over-the-year unemployment rate increase (+6.9 percentage points). Birmingham-Hoover, Alabama, and Salt Lake City, Utah, had the lowest jobless rates among the large areas, at 3.5 percent each.

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 — December 2020." 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, El Centro, California, had the highest unemployment rate in December 2020 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2021/el-centro-california-had-the-highest-unemployment-rate-in-december-2020.htm (visited March 28, 2024).

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