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Unemployment rates lower in 226 metro areas from September 2025 to September 2026
November 04, 2026
Unemployment rates were lower in September 2026 than a year earlier in 226 of the 387 metropolitan areas, higher in 138 areas, and unchanged in 23 areas. A total of 48 areas had jobless rates of less than 3.0 percent, and 5 areas had rates of at least 8.0 percent.
Over-the-year change in unemployment rates for metropolitan areas, September 2026, not seasonally adjusted
| Metropolitan area | Percentage point(s) change | Unemployment rate, September 2025 | Unemployment rate, September 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
Eagle Pass, TX | -2.5 | 8.7 | 6.2 |
Vineland, NJ | -2.2 | 8.3 | 6.1 |
Yuma, AZ | -2.0 | 16.5 | 14.5 |
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | -1.9 | 6.8 | 4.9 |
Trenton-Princeton, NJ | -1.7 | 5.9 | 4.2 |
Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | -1.6 | 7.5 | 5.9 |
Cleveland, OH | -1.4 | 3.3 | 1.9 |
Springfield, OH | -1.4 | 5.2 | 3.8 |
Williamsport, PA | -1.3 | 4.4 | 3.1 |
Johnstown, PA | -1.3 | 4.7 | 3.4 |
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | -1.3 | 4.8 | 3.5 |
Albany, OR | -1.3 | 5.7 | 4.4 |
Lebanon, PA | -1.2 | 4.0 | 2.8 |
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | -1.2 | 4.1 | 2.9 |
Erie, PA | -1.2 | 4.4 | 3.2 |
Reading, PA | -1.2 | 4.6 | 3.4 |
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | -1.2 | 4.8 | 3.6 |
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | -1.2 | 5.0 | 3.8 |
Kankakee, IL | -1.2 | 5.4 | 4.2 |
Grants Pass, OR | -1.2 | 6.8 | 5.6 |
Manchester-Nashua, NH | -1.1 | 3.3 | 2.2 |
Chambersburg, PA | -1.1 | 3.9 | 2.8 |
Altoona, PA | -1.1 | 4.0 | 2.9 |
Pittsburgh, PA | -1.1 | 4.1 | 3.0 |
York-Hanover, PA | -1.1 | 4.1 | 3.0 |
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | -1.1 | 5.5 | 4.4 |
Kokomo, IN | -1.1 | 5.7 | 4.6 |
Lancaster, PA | -1.0 | 3.5 | 2.5 |
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC | -1.0 | 4.5 | 3.5 |
Eugene-Springfield, OR | -1.0 | 5.4 | 4.4 |
Gettysburg, PA | -0.9 | 3.6 | 2.7 |
Salisbury, MD | -0.9 | 4.6 | 3.7 |
Peoria, IL | -0.9 | 4.7 | 3.8 |
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA | -0.9 | 4.8 | 3.9 |
Corvallis, OR | -0.9 | 4.8 | 3.9 |
Toledo, OH | -0.9 | 4.8 | 3.9 |
Bend, OR | -0.9 | 4.9 | 4.0 |
Salem, OR | -0.9 | 4.9 | 4.0 |
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | -0.9 | 5.0 | 4.1 |
Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH | -0.9 | 5.0 | 4.1 |
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | -0.9 | 5.1 | 4.2 |
Rocky Mount, NC | -0.9 | 5.1 | 4.2 |
Rockford, IL | -0.9 | 5.3 | 4.4 |
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | -0.9 | 5.7 | 4.8 |
State College, PA | -0.8 | 3.4 | 2.6 |
Asheville, NC | -0.8 | 3.6 | 2.8 |
Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | -0.8 | 4.1 | 3.3 |
Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | -0.8 | 4.1 | 3.3 |
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | -0.8 | 4.3 | 3.5 |
Charleston, WV | -0.8 | 4.3 | 3.5 |
Reno, NV | -0.8 | 4.3 | 3.5 |
Springfield, IL | -0.8 | 4.4 | 3.6 |
Lima, OH | -0.8 | 4.5 | 3.7 |
Spartanburg, SC | -0.8 | 4.6 | 3.8 |
Florence, SC | -0.8 | 5.0 | 4.2 |
Hammond, LA | -0.8 | 5.2 | 4.4 |
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | -0.8 | 5.3 | 4.5 |
Medford, OR | -0.8 | 5.5 | 4.7 |
Decatur, IL | -0.8 | 5.8 | 5.0 |
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | -0.8 | 6.4 | 5.6 |
El Centro, CA | -0.8 | 21.6 | 20.8 |
Helena, MT | -0.7 | 3.0 | 2.3 |
Morgantown, WV | -0.7 | 3.6 | 2.9 |
Lexington Park, MD | -0.7 | 3.8 | 3.1 |
Charleston-North Charleston, SC | -0.7 | 3.9 | 3.2 |
Carson City, NV | -0.7 | 4.2 | 3.5 |
Champaign-Urbana, IL | -0.7 | 4.2 | 3.5 |
Akron, OH | -0.7 | 4.3 | 3.6 |
Columbia, SC | -0.7 | 4.3 | 3.6 |
Beckley, WV | -0.7 | 4.4 | 3.7 |
Hot Springs, AR | -0.7 | 4.4 | 3.7 |
Lake Charles, LA | -0.7 | 4.6 | 3.9 |
Monroe, LA | -0.7 | 4.7 | 4.0 |
Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI | -0.7 | 5.3 | 4.6 |
Billings, MT | -0.6 | 3.1 | 2.5 |
Great Falls, MT | -0.6 | 3.2 | 2.6 |
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | -0.6 | 3.4 | 2.8 |
Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | -0.6 | 3.4 | 2.8 |
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | -0.6 | 3.6 | 3.0 |
Burlington, NC | -0.6 | 3.8 | 3.2 |
Winston-Salem, NC | -0.6 | 3.8 | 3.2 |
Bloomington, IL | -0.6 | 3.9 | 3.3 |
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | -0.6 | 3.9 | 3.3 |
Columbus, OH | -0.6 | 3.9 | 3.3 |
Goldsboro, NC | -0.6 | 3.9 | 3.3 |
Greensboro-High Point, NC | -0.6 | 4.0 | 3.4 |
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | -0.6 | 4.1 | 3.5 |
Baton Rouge, LA | -0.6 | 4.2 | 3.6 |
Sandusky, OH | -0.6 | 4.2 | 3.6 |
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | -0.6 | 4.3 | 3.7 |
Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | -0.6 | 4.3 | 3.7 |
New Orleans-Metairie, LA | -0.6 | 4.5 | 3.9 |
Fayetteville, NC | -0.6 | 4.6 | 4.0 |
Longview-Kelso, WA | -0.6 | 4.6 | 4.0 |
Mansfield, OH | -0.6 | 4.6 | 4.0 |
Laredo, TX | -0.6 | 4.7 | 4.1 |
Sumter, SC | -0.6 | 5.4 | 4.8 |
Dover, DE | -0.6 | 5.6 | 5.0 |
Missoula, MT | -0.5 | 2.9 | 2.4 |
Raleigh-Cary, NC | -0.5 | 3.2 | 2.7 |
Wilmington, NC | -0.5 | 3.6 | 3.1 |
Lafayette, LA | -0.5 | 3.9 | 3.4 |
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | -0.5 | 3.9 | 3.4 |
Greenville, NC | -0.5 | 4.0 | 3.5 |
Alexandria, LA | -0.5 | 4.1 | 3.6 |
Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | -0.5 | 4.1 | 3.6 |
Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA | -0.5 | 4.1 | 3.6 |
Canton-Massillon, OH | -0.5 | 4.2 | 3.7 |
Wheeling, WV-OH | -0.5 | 4.3 | 3.8 |
El Paso, TX | -0.5 | 4.8 | 4.3 |
Flint, MI | -0.5 | 5.6 | 5.1 |
Minot, ND | -0.4 | 2.2 | 1.8 |
Bozeman, MT | -0.4 | 2.4 | 2.0 |
Lincoln, NE | -0.4 | 2.7 | 2.3 |
Omaha, NE-IA | -0.4 | 3.0 | 2.6 |
Logan, UT-ID | -0.4 | 3.1 | 2.7 |
Ogden, UT | -0.4 | 3.4 | 3.0 |
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | -0.4 | 3.6 | 3.2 |
Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | -0.4 | 3.6 | 3.2 |
Morristown, TN | -0.4 | 3.7 | 3.3 |
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | -0.4 | 3.7 | 3.3 |
Jacksonville, NC | -0.4 | 3.8 | 3.4 |
Bellingham, WA | -0.4 | 3.9 | 3.5 |
Cleveland, TN | -0.4 | 3.9 | 3.5 |
Kennewick-Richland, WA | -0.4 | 3.9 | 3.5 |
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | -0.4 | 4.0 | 3.6 |
Jonesboro, AR | -0.4 | 4.0 | 3.6 |
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | -0.4 | 4.0 | 3.6 |
Odessa, TX | -0.4 | 4.1 | 3.7 |
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | -0.4 | 4.1 | 3.7 |
Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | -0.4 | 4.2 | 3.8 |
Fort Smith, AR-OK | -0.4 | 4.2 | 3.8 |
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | -0.4 | 4.5 | 4.1 |
Battle Creek, MI | -0.4 | 5.0 | 4.6 |
Saginaw, MI | -0.4 | 5.5 | 5.1 |
Bismarck, ND | -0.3 | 2.0 | 1.7 |
Knoxville, TN | -0.3 | 3.2 | 2.9 |
Lewiston, ID-WA | -0.3 | 3.2 | 2.9 |
Hattiesburg, MS | -0.3 | 3.3 | 3.0 |
Jackson, MS | -0.3 | 3.3 | 3.0 |
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | -0.3 | 3.4 | 3.1 |
Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | -0.3 | 3.4 | 3.1 |
Johnson City, TN | -0.3 | 3.5 | 3.2 |
St. George, UT | -0.3 | 3.5 | 3.2 |
Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | -0.3 | 3.6 | 3.3 |
St. Louis, MO-IL | -0.3 | 3.7 | 3.4 |
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | -0.3 | 4.0 | 3.7 |
Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | -0.3 | 4.0 | 3.7 |
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | -0.3 | 4.2 | 3.9 |
Niles, MI | -0.3 | 4.5 | 4.2 |
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | -0.3 | 4.5 | 4.2 |
Worcester, MA | -0.3 | 4.5 | 4.2 |
Monroe, MI | -0.3 | 4.6 | 4.3 |
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | -0.3 | 4.6 | 4.3 |
Texarkana, TX-AR | -0.3 | 4.6 | 4.3 |
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | -0.3 | 5.4 | 5.1 |
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | -0.3 | 5.6 | 5.3 |
Stockton-Lodi, CA | -0.3 | 6.5 | 6.2 |
Bakersfield-Delano, CA | -0.3 | 8.2 | 7.9 |
Merced, CA | -0.3 | 8.4 | 8.1 |
Rapid City, SD | -0.2 | 1.9 | 1.7 |
Columbia, MO | -0.2 | 2.9 | 2.7 |
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | -0.2 | 3.0 | 2.8 |
Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | -0.2 | 3.2 | 3.0 |
Springfield, MO | -0.2 | 3.3 | 3.1 |
Midland, TX | -0.2 | 3.4 | 3.2 |
Walla Walla, WA | -0.2 | 3.4 | 3.2 |
Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | -0.2 | 3.4 | 3.2 |
Traverse City, MI | -0.2 | 3.6 | 3.4 |
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | -0.2 | 3.7 | 3.5 |
College Station-Bryan, TX | -0.2 | 3.7 | 3.5 |
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | -0.2 | 3.9 | 3.7 |
Jackson, TN | -0.2 | 3.9 | 3.7 |
Lansing-East Lansing, MI | -0.2 | 4.1 | 3.9 |
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | -0.2 | 4.2 | 4.0 |
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | -0.2 | 4.2 | 4.0 |
Waco, TX | -0.2 | 4.2 | 4.0 |
Yakima, WA | -0.2 | 4.2 | 4.0 |
Memphis, TN-MS-AR | -0.2 | 4.3 | 4.1 |
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | -0.2 | 4.6 | 4.4 |
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | -0.2 | 4.8 | 4.6 |
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | -0.2 | 4.9 | 4.7 |
Bay City, MI | -0.2 | 5.0 | 4.8 |
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | -0.2 | 5.0 | 4.8 |
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | -0.2 | 5.1 | 4.9 |
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | -0.2 | 5.2 | 5.0 |
Redding, CA | -0.2 | 5.4 | 5.2 |
Vallejo, CA | -0.2 | 5.5 | 5.3 |
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | -0.2 | 5.9 | 5.7 |
Chico, CA | -0.2 | 6.1 | 5.9 |
Modesto, CA | -0.2 | 6.8 | 6.6 |
Yuba City, CA | -0.2 | 7.0 | 6.8 |
Fresno, CA | -0.2 | 7.5 | 7.3 |
Visalia, CA | -0.2 | 10.0 | 9.8 |
Sioux Falls, SD-MN | -0.1 | 1.8 | 1.7 |
Jefferson City, MO | -0.1 | 2.8 | 2.7 |
Casper, WY | -0.1 | 3.0 | 2.9 |
Boise City, ID | -0.1 | 3.2 | 3.1 |
Chattanooga, TN-GA | -0.1 | 3.3 | 3.2 |
Joplin, MO-KS | -0.1 | 3.4 | 3.3 |
Kansas City, MO-KS | -0.1 | 3.5 | 3.4 |
St. Joseph, MO-KS | -0.1 | 3.5 | 3.4 |
Abilene, TX | -0.1 | 3.6 | 3.5 |
Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | -0.1 | 3.6 | 3.5 |
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | -0.1 | 3.6 | 3.5 |
Anchorage, AK | -0.1 | 3.7 | 3.6 |
Dalton, GA | -0.1 | 3.7 | 3.6 |
Ann Arbor, MI | -0.1 | 3.8 | 3.7 |
Coeur d'Alene, ID | -0.1 | 3.8 | 3.7 |
Pittsfield, MA | -0.1 | 4.0 | 3.9 |
Wichita Falls, TX | -0.1 | 4.0 | 3.9 |
Clarksville, TN-KY | -0.1 | 4.1 | 4.0 |
Owensboro, KY | -0.1 | 4.1 | 4.0 |
Tyler, TX | -0.1 | 4.1 | 4.0 |
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | -0.1 | 4.2 | 4.1 |
Napa, CA | -0.1 | 4.3 | 4.2 |
Paducah, KY-IL | -0.1 | 4.4 | 4.3 |
Victoria, TX | -0.1 | 4.5 | 4.4 |
Corpus Christi, TX | -0.1 | 4.6 | 4.5 |
Jackson, MI | -0.1 | 4.6 | 4.5 |
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | -0.1 | 4.6 | 4.5 |
Longview, TX | -0.1 | 4.7 | 4.6 |
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | -0.1 | 4.7 | 4.6 |
Youngstown-Warren, OH | -0.1 | 4.8 | 4.7 |
Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL | -0.1 | 5.3 | 5.2 |
Hanford-Corcoran, CA | -0.1 | 8.2 | 8.1 |
Fargo, ND-MN | 0.0 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
Grand Forks, ND-MN | 0.0 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
Burlington-South Burlington, VT | 0.0 | 2.4 | 2.4 |
Cheyenne, WY | 0.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
Lewiston-Auburn, ME | 0.0 | 3.3 | 3.3 |
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 0.0 | 3.4 | 3.4 |
Fairbanks-College, AK | 0.0 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 0.0 | 3.7 | 3.7 |
Lubbock, TX | 0.0 | 3.7 | 3.7 |
Barnstable Town, MA | 0.0 | 3.8 | 3.8 |
Lexington-Fayette, KY | 0.0 | 3.8 | 3.8 |
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | 0.0 | 4.1 | 4.1 |
Bowling Green, KY | 0.0 | 4.2 | 4.2 |
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 0.0 | 4.2 | 4.2 |
Naples-Marco Island, FL | 0.0 | 4.7 | 4.7 |
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | 0.0 | 4.8 | 4.8 |
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | 0.0 | 4.9 | 4.9 |
Killeen-Temple, TX | 0.0 | 4.9 | 4.9 |
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 0.0 | 4.9 | 4.9 |
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | 0.0 | 5.2 | 5.2 |
Springfield, MA | 0.0 | 5.3 | 5.3 |
Salinas, CA | 0.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
Homosassa Springs, FL | 0.0 | 6.3 | 6.3 |
Appleton, WI | 0.1 | 2.4 | 2.5 |
Wausau, WI | 0.1 | 2.4 | 2.5 |
Fond du Lac, WI | 0.1 | 2.5 | 2.6 |
Green Bay, WI | 0.1 | 2.5 | 2.6 |
Sheboygan, WI | 0.1 | 2.5 | 2.6 |
Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | 0.1 | 2.6 | 2.7 |
Portland-South Portland, ME | 0.1 | 2.6 | 2.7 |
Janesville-Beloit, WI | 0.1 | 2.9 | 3.0 |
Kenosha, WI | 0.1 | 2.9 | 3.0 |
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | 0.1 | 2.9 | 3.0 |
Dubuque, IA | 0.1 | 3.0 | 3.1 |
Twin Falls, ID | 0.1 | 3.0 | 3.1 |
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 0.1 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 0.1 | 3.2 | 3.3 |
Fort Wayne, IN | 0.1 | 3.3 | 3.4 |
Glens Falls, NY | 0.1 | 3.3 | 3.4 |
Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | 0.1 | 3.3 | 3.4 |
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 0.1 | 3.4 | 3.5 |
Cedar Rapids, IA | 0.1 | 3.4 | 3.5 |
San Angelo, TX | 0.1 | 3.4 | 3.5 |
Evansville, IN | 0.1 | 3.5 | 3.6 |
Pocatello, ID | 0.1 | 3.7 | 3.8 |
Terre Haute, IN | 0.1 | 3.7 | 3.8 |
Michigan City-La Porte, IN | 0.1 | 3.8 | 3.9 |
Elmira, NY | 0.1 | 3.9 | 4.0 |
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | 0.1 | 3.9 | 4.0 |
Utica-Rome, NY | 0.1 | 3.9 | 4.0 |
Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | 0.1 | 4.0 | 4.1 |
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 0.1 | 4.1 | 4.2 |
Sherman-Denison, TX | 0.1 | 4.1 | 4.2 |
Albany, GA | 0.1 | 4.2 | 4.3 |
Midland, MI | 0.1 | 4.2 | 4.3 |
Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL | 0.1 | 4.2 | 4.3 |
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 0.1 | 4.2 | 4.3 |
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 0.1 | 4.2 | 4.3 |
Jacksonville, FL | 0.1 | 4.4 | 4.5 |
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | 0.1 | 4.5 | 4.6 |
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | 0.1 | 4.6 | 4.7 |
Tucson, AZ | 0.1 | 4.7 | 4.8 |
Port St. Lucie, FL | 0.1 | 4.8 | 4.9 |
Flagstaff, AZ | 0.1 | 4.9 | 5.0 |
Ocala, FL | 0.1 | 5.3 | 5.4 |
Punta Gorda, FL | 0.1 | 5.5 | 5.6 |
Wildwood-The Villages, FL | 0.1 | 7.5 | 7.6 |
Madison, WI | 0.2 | 2.3 | 2.5 |
Eau Claire, WI | 0.2 | 2.5 | 2.7 |
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | 0.2 | 2.5 | 2.7 |
Idaho Falls, ID | 0.2 | 2.7 | 2.9 |
Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | 0.2 | 2.8 | 3.0 |
Brunswick-St. Simons, GA | 0.2 | 2.9 | 3.1 |
Athens-Clarke County, GA | 0.2 | 3.1 | 3.3 |
Bangor, ME | 0.2 | 3.2 | 3.4 |
Amarillo, TX | 0.2 | 3.3 | 3.5 |
Rome, GA | 0.2 | 3.3 | 3.5 |
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 0.2 | 3.5 | 3.7 |
Elkhart-Goshen, IN | 0.2 | 3.6 | 3.8 |
Kingston, NY | 0.2 | 3.6 | 3.8 |
Hinesville, GA | 0.2 | 3.8 | 4.0 |
Syracuse, NY | 0.2 | 3.8 | 4.0 |
Macon-Bibb County, GA | 0.2 | 3.9 | 4.1 |
South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | 0.2 | 3.9 | 4.1 |
Wichita, KS | 0.2 | 3.9 | 4.1 |
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | 0.2 | 4.0 | 4.2 |
Muncie, IN | 0.2 | 4.0 | 4.2 |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 0.2 | 4.2 | 4.4 |
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | 0.2 | 4.4 | 4.6 |
Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ | 0.2 | 4.5 | 4.7 |
Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | 0.2 | 5.6 | 5.8 |
Sebring, FL | 0.2 | 6.1 | 6.3 |
Ames, IA | 0.3 | 2.6 | 2.9 |
Gainesville, GA | 0.3 | 2.7 | 3.0 |
Savannah, GA | 0.3 | 2.8 | 3.1 |
Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI | 0.3 | 3.1 | 3.4 |
Winchester, VA-WV | 0.3 | 3.1 | 3.4 |
Lawrence, KS | 0.3 | 3.3 | 3.6 |
Columbus, IN | 0.3 | 3.4 | 3.7 |
Oklahoma City, OK | 0.3 | 3.4 | 3.7 |
Manhattan, KS | 0.3 | 3.5 | 3.8 |
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 0.3 | 3.5 | 3.8 |
Topeka, KS | 0.3 | 3.6 | 3.9 |
Valdosta, GA | 0.3 | 3.7 | 4.0 |
Rochester, NY | 0.3 | 3.8 | 4.1 |
Binghamton, NY | 0.3 | 4.0 | 4.3 |
Columbus, GA-AL | 0.3 | 4.0 | 4.3 |
Ithaca, NY | 0.3 | 4.1 | 4.4 |
Tallahassee, FL | 0.3 | 4.2 | 4.5 |
Gainesville, FL | 0.3 | 4.6 | 4.9 |
Elizabethtown, KY | 0.3 | 4.7 | 5.0 |
Iowa City, IA | 0.4 | 2.4 | 2.8 |
Charlottesville, VA | 0.4 | 2.8 | 3.2 |
Roanoke, VA | 0.4 | 3.2 | 3.6 |
Bloomington, IN | 0.4 | 3.3 | 3.7 |
Lynchburg, VA | 0.4 | 3.5 | 3.9 |
Tulsa, OK | 0.4 | 3.5 | 3.9 |
Lawton, OK | 0.4 | 4.0 | 4.4 |
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 0.4 | 4.0 | 4.4 |
Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | 0.4 | 5.5 | 5.9 |
Harrisonburg, VA | 0.5 | 2.8 | 3.3 |
Warner Robins, GA | 0.5 | 3.0 | 3.5 |
Enid, OK | 0.5 | 3.2 | 3.7 |
Richmond, VA | 0.5 | 3.3 | 3.8 |
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | 0.5 | 3.7 | 4.2 |
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 0.5 | 3.8 | 4.3 |
Boulder, CO | 0.5 | 3.9 | 4.4 |
Decatur, AL | 0.6 | 2.5 | 3.1 |
Huntsville, AL | 0.6 | 2.5 | 3.1 |
Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL | 0.6 | 2.7 | 3.3 |
Mobile, AL | 0.6 | 3.7 | 4.3 |
Grand Junction, CO | 0.6 | 3.8 | 4.4 |
Colorado Springs, CO | 0.6 | 3.9 | 4.5 |
Greeley, CO | 0.6 | 4.1 | 4.7 |
Kahului-Wailuku, HI | 0.7 | 2.4 | 3.1 |
Grand Island, NE | 0.7 | 2.7 | 3.4 |
Birmingham, AL | 0.7 | 2.8 | 3.5 |
Dothan, AL | 0.7 | 2.9 | 3.6 |
Gadsden, AL | 0.7 | 3.1 | 3.8 |
Montgomery, AL | 0.7 | 3.1 | 3.8 |
Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | 0.7 | 3.2 | 3.9 |
Santa Fe, NM | 0.7 | 3.6 | 4.3 |
Duluth, MN-WI | 0.7 | 3.9 | 4.6 |
Las Cruces, NM | 0.7 | 4.4 | 5.1 |
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 0.7 | 4.9 | 5.6 |
Urban Honolulu, HI | 0.8 | 2.2 | 3.0 |
Rochester, MN | 0.8 | 2.9 | 3.7 |
Anniston-Oxford, AL | 0.8 | 3.3 | 4.1 |
Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | 0.8 | 3.8 | 4.6 |
Albuquerque, NM | 0.8 | 3.9 | 4.7 |
Farmington, NM | 0.8 | 4.3 | 5.1 |
Auburn-Opelika, AL | 0.9 | 2.7 | 3.6 |
Tuscaloosa, AL | 0.9 | 3.3 | 4.2 |
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 0.9 | 3.6 | 4.5 |
Pueblo, CO | 0.9 | 5.2 | 6.1 |
Mankato, MN | 1.0 | 2.9 | 3.9 |
St. Cloud, MN | 1.0 | 3.2 | 4.2 |
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | 1.1 | 3.8 | 4.9 |
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 1.1 | 3.9 | 5.0 |
New Haven, CT | 1.2 | 4.0 | 5.2 |
Waterbury-Shelton, CT | 1.2 | 4.5 | 5.7 |
The largest over-the-year unemployment rate decrease in September occurred in Eagle Pass, Texas (−2.5 percentage points), followed by Vineland, New Jersey (−2.2 points). Twenty-eight other areas had rate decreases of at least 1.0 percentage point. New Haven, Connecticut, and Waterbury-Shelton, Connecticut, had the largest over-the-year rate increases in September (+1.2 percentage points each). Four other areas had rate increases of at least 1.0 percentage point.
In September, Bismarck, North Dakota; Rapid City, South Dakota; and Sioux Falls, SD-MN, had the lowest unemployment rates, 1.7 percent each. El Centro, California, had the highest rate, 20.8 percent, followed by Yuma, Arizona, 14.5 percent. A total of 223 areas had September jobless rates below the U.S. rate of 4.0 percent, 145 areas had rates above it, and 19 areas had rates equal to that of the nation.
Of the 56 metropolitan areas with a 2020 Census population of 1 million or more, Cleveland, Ohio, had the lowest jobless rate in September, 1.9 percent. Fresno, California, had the highest rate, 7.3 percent. Thirty-one large areas had over-the-year unemployment rate decreases, 21 had increases, and 4 had no change. The largest rate decline occurred in Cleveland, Ohio (−1.4 percentage points), followed by Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD (−1.2 points). The largest jobless rate increase occurred in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, Connecticut (+1.1 percentage points).
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 — September 2026. We also have more charts related to metropolitan area employment and unemployment.
SUGGESTED CITATION
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Unemployment rates lower in 226 metro areas from September 2025 to September 2026 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2026/unemployment-rates-lower-in-226-metro-areas-from-september-2025-to-september-2026.htm (visited November 06, 2026).
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