For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Wednesday, October 3, 2012 USDL-12-1980
Technical information:
Employment: (202) 691-6559 * sminfo@bls.gov * www.bls.gov/sae
Unemployment: (202) 691-6392 * lausinfo@bls.gov * www.bls.gov/lau
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 * PressOffice@bls.gov
METROPOLITAN AREA EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT -- AUGUST 2012
Unemployment rates were lower in August than a year earlier in 325 of the 372 metropolitan
areas, higher in 40 areas, and unchanged in 7 areas, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
reported today. Five areas recorded jobless rates of at least 15.0 percent, while 20 areas
registered rates of less than 5.0 percent. Two hundred seventy-four metropolitan areas
reported over-the-year increases in nonfarm payroll employment, 92 reported decreases, and
6 had no change. The national unemployment rate in August was 8.2 percent, not seasonally
adjusted, down from 9.1 percent a year earlier.
Metropolitan Area Unemployment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
In August, 54 metropolitan areas reported jobless rates of at least 10.0 percent, down
from 99 areas a year earlier, while 123 areas posted rates below 7.0 percent, up from 73
areas in August of last year. El Centro, Calif., and Yuma, Ariz., recorded the highest
unemployment rates in August 2012, 29.9 percent each. Bismarck, N.D., registered the lowest
unemployment rate, 2.6 percent. A total of 214 areas recorded August unemployment rates
below the U.S. figure of 8.2 percent, 150 areas reported rates above it, and 8 areas had
rates equal to that of the nation. (See table 1.)
The largest over-the-year unemployment rate decrease in August was registered in
Pascagoula, Miss. (-3.0 percentage points). Twenty-five additional areas had decreases
of 2.0 percentage points or more. Elmira, N.Y., reported the largest over-the-year
jobless rate increase (+1.6 percentage points), followed by Kennewick-Pasco-Richland,
Wash. (+1.5 points). Three other areas had increases of at least 1.0 percentage point
from a year earlier.
Among the 49 metropolitan areas with a Census 2000 population of 1 million or more, the
highest unemployment rates in August were registered in Las Vegas-Paradise, Nev., and
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif., 12.3 percent each. Four additional large areas
posted rates of 10.0 percent or more. The lowest jobless rate among the large areas
was recorded in Oklahoma City, Okla., 4.6 percent. Forty-three large areas reported
over-the-year unemployment rate decreases, five registered increases, and one had no
change. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla., experienced the largest unemployment rate
decline from August 2011 (-2.2 percentage points). Thirty-one other large areas reported
rate decreases of at least 1.0 percentage point. Buffalo-Niagara Falls, N.Y., was the
only large area to record an unemployment rate increase larger than 1.0 percentage point
(+1.1 points).
Metropolitan Division Unemployment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
Eleven of the most populous metropolitan areas are made up of 34 metropolitan divisions,
which are essentially separately identifiable employment centers. In August 2012, Detroit-
Livonia-Dearborn, Mich., registered the highest jobless rate among the divisions,
12.4 percent. Framingham, Mass., reported the lowest division rate, 4.9 percent.
(See table 2.)
Twenty-seven of the metropolitan divisions recorded over-the-year jobless rate decreases
in August, while seven registered increases. Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, Fla., posted the
largest rate decline from a year earlier (-2.0 percentage points). Twelve additional
divisions had decreases of 1.0 percentage point or more. No division reported an
unemployment rate increase over the year greater than 0.8 percentage point.
In 5 of the 11 metropolitan areas that contain divisions, the ranges between the highest
and lowest division jobless rates were 2.0 percentage points or more in August. Boston-
Cambridge-Quincy, Mass.-N.H., recorded the largest rate difference among its divisions,
6.3 percentage points (Lawrence-Methuen-Salem, Mass.-N.H., 11.2 percent, compared with
Framingham, Mass., 4.9 percent).
Metropolitan Area Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
In August, 274 metropolitan areas reported over-the-year increases in nonfarm payroll
employment, 92 reported decreases, and 6 had no change. The largest over-the-year
employment increase occurred in New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa.
(+117,900), followed by Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, Calif. (+103,000), and
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas (+89,500). The largest over-the-year percentage gain
in employment was reported in Lafayette, La. (+9.4 percent), followed by Columbus, Ind.
(+9.1 percent), and Pascagoula, Miss. (+6.9 percent). (See table 3.)
The largest over-the-year decrease in employment occurred in Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle
Beach-Conway, S.C. (-5,000), followed by Colorado Springs, Colo. (-4,400), and Milwaukee-
Waukesha-West Allis, Wis. (-4,000). The largest over-the-year percentage decrease in
employment was reported in Dalton, Ga. (-5.1 percent), followed by Hot Springs, Ark.
(-4.9 percent), Yuba City, Calif. (-4.3 percent), and Pittsfield, Mass. (-4.2 percent).
Over the year, nonfarm employment rose in 36 of the 37 metropolitan areas with annual
average employment levels above 750,000 in 2011. The largest over-the-year percentage
increases in employment in these large metropolitan areas were posted in Houston-
Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas (+3.5 percent), San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif.
(+3.4 percent), and Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, Texas, and San Francisco-Oakland-
Fremont, Calif. (+3.2 percent each). Only one of the large areas reported a percentage
decrease: Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, Wis. (-0.5 percent).
Metropolitan Division Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
Nonfarm payroll employment data were available in August 2012 for 32 metropolitan
divisions, which are essentially separately identifiable employment centers within a
metropolitan area. Twenty-nine of the 32 metropolitan divisions reported over-the-year
employment gains, while 3 reported losses. The largest over-the-year increases in the
metropolitan divisions occurred in New York-White Plains-Wayne, N.Y.-N.J. (+92,900),
and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, Calif. (+74,000). The largest over-the-year
decreases in the metropolitan divisions were in Nashua, N.H.-Mass., and West Palm
Beach-Boca Raton-Boynton Beach, Fla. (-2,600 each). (See table 4.)
The largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment among the metropolitan
divisions was reported in San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, Calif. (+3.8 percent),
followed by Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash. (+3.0 percent), and Peabody, Mass.
(+2.8 percent). The largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment occurred
in Nashua, N.H.-Mass. (-2.1 percent).
________________
The Regional and State Employment and Unemployment news release for September is
scheduled to be released on Friday, October 19, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT). The
Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release for September is
scheduled to be released on Tuesday, October 30, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).
