Payroll jobs up in 295
WASHINGTON (July 2, 2014) — Unemployment rates were lower in May than a year earlier in 357 of the 372 metropolitan areas, higher in 11 areas, and unchanged in 4 areas, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday. Twelve areas had jobless rates of at least 10 percent and 93 areas had rates of less than 5 percent. Nonfarm payroll employment increased over the year in 295 metropolitan areas, decreased in 68 areas, and was unchanged in 9 areas. The national unemployment rate in May was 6.1 percent, not seasonally adjusted, down from 7.3 percent a year earlier.
Metropolitan area unemployment
Yuma, Ariz., and El Centro, Calif., had the highest unemployment rates in May, 26.5 percent and 21.1 percent, respectively. Bismarck, N.D., had the lowest unemployment rate, 2.2 percent. A total of 204 areas had May unemployment rates below the U.S. figure of 6.1 percent, 156 areas had rates above it, and 12 areas had rates equal to that of the nation.
New Bedford, Mass., had the largest over-the-year unemployment rate decrease in May (-2.8 percentage points). Thirty-seven other areas had rate declines of at least 2.0 percentage points, and an additional 201 areas had declines of at least 1.0 point. Florence-Muscle Shoals, Ala., had the largest over-the-year jobless rate increase (+0.4 percentage point).
Of the 49 metropolitan areas with a Census 2000 population of 1 million or more, Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Mich.; Providence-Fall River-Warwick, R.I.-Mass.; and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif., had the highest unemployment rates in May, 8.0 percent each. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minn.-Wis., had the lowest jobless rate among the large areas, 4.0 percent, followed by Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, Texas, 4.1 percent. Forty-eight of the large areas had over-the-year unemployment rate decreases, while one had an increase. The largest unemployment rate decline occurred in Las Vegas-Paradise, Nev. (-2.1 percentage points). Birmingham-Hoover, Ala., had the only jobless rate increase (+0.1 percentage point).
Metropolitan division unemployment
Eleven of the most populous metropolitan areas are made up of 34 metropolitan divisions, which are essentially separately identifiable employment centers. In May, Detroit- Livonia-Dearborn, Mich., had the highest jobless rate among the divisions, 9.0 percent. Framingham, Mass., had the lowest division rate, 4.1 percent.
All 34 metropolitan divisions had over-the-year jobless rate decreases in May. Lawrence- Methuen-Salem, Mass.-N.H., had the largest rate decline from a year earlier (-2.8 percentage points). Twenty-six other divisions had rate decreases of 1.0 percentage point or more.
Metropolitan area nonfarm employment
In May, 295 metropolitan areas had over-the-year increases in nonfarm payroll employment, 68 had decreases, and 9 had no change. The largest over-the-year employment increases occurred in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas (+113,100), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, Calif. (+111,900), and New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa. (+111,200). The largest over-the-year percentage gain in employment occurred in Muncie, Ind. (+7.5 percent), followed by Ocean City, N.J. (+6.5 percent), and College Station- Bryan, Texas (+5.1 percent).
The largest over-the-year decreases in employment occurred in Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Mich., and Peoria, Ill. (-3,300 each), followed by Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, Pa. (-3,200), and Atlantic City-Hammonton, N.J. (-3,000). The largest over-the-year percentage decreases in employment occurred in Anniston-Oxford, Ala. (-3.2 percent), Bloomington-Normal, Ill. (-3.0 percent), and Warner Robins, Ga. (-2.5 percent).
Over the year, nonfarm employment rose in 36 of the 38 metropolitan areas with annual average employment levels above 750,000 in 2013. The largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment in these large metropolitan areas occurred in Dallas-Fort Worth- Arlington, Texas (+3.7 percent), followed by Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, Texas (+3.6 percent), and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Fla., and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif. (+3.4 percent each). The over-the-year percentage decreases in employment occurred in Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Mich., and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, Va.-N.C. (-0.2 percent each).
Metropolitan division nonfarm employment
Nonfarm payroll employment data were available in May 2014 for 32 metropolitan divisions, which are essentially separately identifiable employment centers within a metropolitan area. Twenty-nine of the 32 metropolitan divisions had over-the-year employment gains and 3 had losses. The largest over-the-year increase in employment among the metropolitan divisions occurred in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, Calif. (+89,300), followed by Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas (+88,300), and New York-White Plains-Wayne, N.Y.-N.J. (+88,000). The over-the-year decreases in employment occurred in Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, Mich. (-5,900), Camden, N.J. (-2,600), and Gary, Ind. (-1,200).
The largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment among the metropolitan divisions occurred in Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas (+4.1 percent), followed by Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach-Deerfield Beach, Fla. (+3.2 percent), and Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, Fla. (+2.9 percent). The over-the-year percentage decreases in employment occurred in Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, Mich. (-0.8 percent), Camden, N.J. (-0.5 percent), and Gary, Ind. (-0.4 percent).
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