Metropolitan Statistical Area Definitions

CES publishes employment data for most MSAs and most metropolitan divisions, and has retained the NECTA definitions for metropolitan areas in the New England states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont). In addition, CES publishes employment series for nine non-standard areas, including the previous Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York Cities. Employment estimates are not made for micropolitan and combined statistical areas because the CES sample cannot support estimates at those levels.

Within the Bureau of Labor Statistics, information on the publication plans of employment and unemployment programs that produce data for statistical areas is shown below.

More information

Links to other BLS data on Metropolitan Areas

Links to Census Bureau information about Metropolitan Areas

New definitions:

Comparison of geographic coverage between the 2000 and 1990 definitions:

  • Historical Metropolitan Area Definitions
  • United States: Maps of 2000 Metropolitan and Micropolitan Areas vs. 1990 Metropolitan Areas (HTML) (PDF 550K)
  • New England: Maps of 2000 Metropolitan and Micropolitan NECTAs vs. 1990 Metropolitan Areas (HTML) (PDF 126K)
  • States: Maps of 1990 Metropolitan Areas (PDF 2.4MB)
  • States: Maps of 2000 Metropolitan and Micropolitan Areas (PDF 2.7MB)

 

Last Modified Date: September 16, 2008