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Posted January 4, 2024

November metro employment mostly flat 

Unemployment rates were higher in November than a year earlier in 214 of the 389 metropolitan areas, lower in 158 areas, and unchanged in 17 areas, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.


A total of 15 areas had jobless rates of less than 2% and 6 areas had rates of at least 8%.

Nonfarm payroll employment increased over the year in 58 metropolitan areas and was essentially unchanged in 331 areas. The national unemployment rate in November was 3.5%, not seasonally adjusted, little changed from a year earlier.

Metropolitan Area Unemployment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

In November, Fargo, ND-MN, had the lowest unemployment rate, 1.3%. The next lowest
rates were in Grand Forks, ND-MN; Mankato-North Mankato, MN; and Rochester, MN, 1.4%
each. El Centro, CA, had the highest rate, 18.7%. A total of 233 areas had November
jobless rates below the U.S. rate of 3.5%, 138 areas had rates above it, and 18 areas
had rates equal to that of the nation. (See table 1.)

The largest over-the-year unemployment rate increase in November occurred in Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI (+2.5 percentage points). Nineteen other areas had rate increases of at least 1.0 percentage point. Grants Pass, OR, had the largest over-the-year rate decrease in November(-1.8 percentage points). Twenty-six other areas had rate declines of at least 1.0 percentage
point.

Of the 51 metropolitan areas with a 2010 Census population of 1 million or more, Baltimore-
Columbia-Towson, MD, had the lowest jobless rate in November, 1.8%. The next lowest rate
was in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, 1.9%. Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV, and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA, had the highest rates, 5.1% each. Thirty-one large areas had over-the-year unemployment rate increases, 17 had decreases, and 3 had no change. The largest rate increase was in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (+1.3 percentage points). The largest jobless rate decline occurred in Pittsburgh, PA (-1.2 percentage points).

Metropolitan Division Unemployment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

Eleven of the most populous metropolitan areas are made up of 38 metropolitan divisions, which are essentially separately identifiable employment centers. In November, Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL, had the lowest division unemployment rate, 1.4%. The next lowest rate was in Silver Spring-Frederick-Rockville, MD, 1.5%. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA,
had the highest rate among the divisions, 5%. 

In November, 18 metropolitan divisions had over-the-year unemployment rate increases, 18 had decreases, and 2 had no change. The largest rate increase occurred in Newark, NJ-PA (+1.3 percentage points). The largest over-the-year jobless rate decline occurred in Philadelphia, PA (-1.1 percentage points).

Metropolitan Area Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

In November, nonfarm payroll employment increased over the year in 58 metropolitan areas and was essentially unchanged in 331 areas. The largest over-the-year employment increases occurred in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX (+139,700), New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA (+122,200), and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (+107,000). The largest over-the-year percentage gain in employment occurred in Lawrence, KS (+9.7%), followed by Charleston-North Charleston, SC (+5.9%), and Salinas, CA (+4.5%). (See table 3.)

Over the year, nonfarm employment increased in 30 metropolitan areas with a 2010 Census population of 1 million or more and was essentially unchanged in 21 areas. The largest over-the-year percentage increases in employment in these large metropolitan areas occurred in Jacksonville, FL; Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV; and Raleigh, NC (+3.8% each).

Metropolitan Division Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

In November, nonfarm payroll employment increased over the year in 15 metropolitan divisions and was essentially unchanged in 23 divisions. The largest over-the-year increases in employment among the metropolitan divisions occurred in Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX (+103,500), New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ (+90,300), and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA (+77,700).

The largest over-the-year percentage increases in employment occurred in Miami-Miami Beach- Kendall, FL (+3.9%), Tacoma-Lakewood, WA (+3.5%), and Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX
(+3.4%).

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