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From July 2022 to July 2023, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 79 metropolitan areas, decreased in 1 area, and was essentially unchanged in 309 areas. Midland, Texas, had the largest significant percentage gain in employment (6.3 percent), followed by Las Cruces, New Mexico (5.4 percent), and Charleston-North Charleston, South Carolina (5.0 percent). The lone over-the-year decrease occurred in Elkhart-Goshen, Indiana, at 4.3 percent (or −6,300 jobs).
Metropolitan area | Percent change | July 2022 employment | July 2023 employment | Change |
---|---|---|---|---|
Midland, TX |
6.3 | 113,500 | 120,600 | 7,100 |
Las Cruces, NM |
5.4 | 72,700 | 76,600 | 3,900 |
Charleston-North Charleston, SC |
5.0 | 398,700 | 418,700 | 20,000 |
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA |
4.9 | 118,100 | 123,900 | 5,800 |
Ann Arbor, MI |
4.6 | 220,100 | 230,200 | 10,100 |
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL |
4.5 | 214,900 | 224,600 | 9,700 |
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV |
4.5 | 1,078,100 | 1,127,000 | 48,900 |
Waco, TX |
4.5 | 130,300 | 136,200 | 5,900 |
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
4.4 | 4,098,000 | 4,276,600 | 178,600 |
Manchester, NH |
4.4 | 111,600 | 116,500 | 4,900 |
Olympia-Tumwater, WA |
4.4 | 126,000 | 131,600 | 5,600 |
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX |
4.3 | 284,900 | 297,100 | 12,200 |
Salinas, CA |
4.3 | 143,500 | 149,600 | 6,100 |
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC |
4.2 | 1,305,900 | 1,361,400 | 55,500 |
Idaho Falls, ID |
4.2 | 79,500 | 82,800 | 3,300 |
Jacksonville, FL |
4.2 | 769,400 | 802,000 | 32,600 |
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO |
4.1 | 292,600 | 304,500 | 11,900 |
Anchorage, AK |
4.0 | 176,500 | 183,600 | 7,100 |
Boise City, ID |
4.0 | 384,400 | 399,600 | 15,200 |
Elkhart-Goshen, IN |
-4.3 | 146,600 | 140,300 | -6,300 |
In July 2023, a total of 233 areas had jobless rates below the U.S. rate of 3.8 percent, 138 areas had rates above it, and 18 areas had rates equal to that of the nation. The lowest unemployment rates were in Sioux Falls, South Dakota (1.4 percent), Burlington-South Burlington, Vermont (1.5 percent), and Rapid City, South Dakota (1.6 percent).
Metropolitan area | July 2022 unemployment rate | July 2023 unemployment rate | Percentage point change |
---|---|---|---|
El Centro, CA |
15.2 | 17.7 | 2.5 |
Yuma, AZ |
15.3 | 16.7 | 1.4 |
Visalia-Porterville, CA |
8.0 | 9.8 | 1.8 |
Merced, CA |
7.1 | 8.6 | 1.5 |
Bakersfield, CA |
6.8 | 8.4 | 1.6 |
Hanford-Corcoran, CA |
6.4 | 7.9 | 1.5 |
Madera, CA |
5.9 | 7.2 | 1.3 |
Fresno, CA |
6.0 | 7.1 | 1.1 |
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX |
6.8 | 7.0 | 0.2 |
Decatur, IL |
5.5 | 6.9 | 1.4 |
Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ |
4.9 | 6.9 | 2.0 |
Decatur, AL |
2.5 | 1.9 | -0.6 |
Dover-Durham, NH-ME |
2.4 | 1.9 | -0.5 |
Fargo, ND-MN |
1.7 | 1.9 | 0.2 |
Huntsville, AL |
2.5 | 1.9 | -0.6 |
Bismarck, ND |
1.9 | 1.8 | -0.1 |
California-Lexington Park, MD |
3.6 | 1.8 | -1.8 |
Manchester, NH |
2.4 | 1.8 | -0.6 |
Portsmouth, NH-ME |
2.0 | 1.8 | -0.2 |
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD |
3.4 | 1.7 | -1.7 |
Rapid City, SD |
1.7 | 1.6 | -0.1 |
Burlington-South Burlington, VT |
2.2 | 1.5 | -0.7 |
Sioux Falls, SD |
1.5 | 1.4 | -0.1 |
Metropolitan area | July 2022 unemployment rate | July 2023 unemployment rate | Percentage point change |
---|---|---|---|
El Centro, CA |
15.2 | 17.7 | 2.5 |
Elkhart-Goshen, IN |
2.8 | 5.2 | 2.4 |
Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ |
4.9 | 6.9 | 2.0 |
Visalia-Porterville, CA |
8.0 | 9.8 | 1.8 |
Danville, IL |
4.9 | 6.6 | 1.7 |
Bakersfield, CA |
6.8 | 8.4 | 1.6 |
Rockford, IL |
5.2 | 6.8 | 1.6 |
Hanford-Corcoran, CA |
6.4 | 7.9 | 1.5 |
Merced, CA |
7.1 | 8.6 | 1.5 |
Decatur, IL |
5.5 | 6.9 | 1.4 |
Kankakee, IL |
4.7 | 6.1 | 1.4 |
Pocatello, ID |
2.7 | 4.1 | 1.4 |
Yuma, AZ |
15.3 | 16.7 | 1.4 |
Altoona, PA |
5.2 | 3.8 | -1.4 |
Cleveland-Elyria, OH |
4.9 | 3.5 | -1.4 |
Pine Bluff, AR |
5.8 | 4.4 | -1.4 |
East Stroudsburg, PA |
6.2 | 4.7 | -1.5 |
New Bedford, MA |
5.3 | 3.8 | -1.5 |
Williamsport, PA |
5.2 | 3.7 | -1.5 |
Cumberland, MD-WV |
4.2 | 2.6 | -1.6 |
Lansing-East Lansing, MI |
6.0 | 4.4 | -1.6 |
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD |
3.4 | 1.7 | -1.7 |
California-Lexington Park, MD |
3.6 | 1.8 | -1.8 |
Johnstown, PA |
6.5 | 4.7 | -1.8 |
El Centro, California, had the highest unemployment rate, at 17.7 percent, followed by Yuma, Arizona (16.7 percent). An additional three metropolitan areas had unemployment rates above 8.0 percent: Visalia-Porterville, California (9.8 percent), Merced, California (8.6 percent), and Bakersfield, California (8.4 percent).
The largest unemployment rate increase from July 2022 to July 2023 also occurred in El Centro, California, at 2.5 percentage points. Unemployment rates fell over the year by 1.8 percentage points in California-Lexington Park, Maryland (3.6 percent in July 2022 to 1.8 percent in July 2023), and Johnstown, Pennsylvania (6.5 percent to 4.7 percent).
These data are from the Current Employment Statistics (State and Metro Area) program and 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 — July 2023." Also see charts related to the latest "Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment" news release.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Employment up at least 5.0 percent in three metro areas from July 2022 to July 2023 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2023/employment-up-at-least-5-0-percent-in-three-metro-areas-from-july-2022-to-july-2023.htm (visited March 16, 2025).