For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Wednesday, January 30, 2013 USDL-13-0142
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 -- DECEMBER 2012
Unemployment rates were lower in December than a year earlier in 290 of the 372
metropolitan areas, higher in 68 areas, and unchanged in 14 areas, the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Seven areas recorded jobless rates
of at least 15.0 percent, while 33 areas registered rates of less than 5.0
percent. Two hundred eighty-three metropolitan areas reported over-the-year
increases in nonfarm payroll employment, 83 reported decreases, and 6 had no
change. The national unemployment rate in December was 7.6 percent, not
seasonally adjusted, down from 8.3 percent a year earlier.
Metropolitan Area Unemployment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
In December, 47 metropolitan areas reported jobless rates of at least 10.0
percent, down from 70 areas a year earlier, while 158 areas posted rates
below 7.0 percent, up from 122 areas in December 2011. Yuma, Ariz., and El
Centro, Calif., recorded the highest unemployment rates in December 2012,
at 27.3 and 25.5 percent, respectively. Midland, Texas, registered the lowest
unemployment rate, 3.1 percent. A total of 204 areas recorded December
unemployment rates below the U.S. figure of 7.6 percent, 154 areas reported
rates above it, and 14 areas had rates equal to that of the nation. (See
table 1.)
The largest over-the-year unemployment rate decline in December was
registered in Las Vegas-Paradise, Nev. (-3.3 percentage points). Fourteen
additional areas had decreases of 2.0 percentage points or more. Yuma, Ariz.,
reported the largest over-the-year jobless rate increase (+1.9 percentage
points). Four additional areas had increases of more than 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 rate in December was registered in
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif., 10.9 percent. The lowest jobless
rate among the large areas was recorded in Oklahoma City, Okla., 4.6 percent.
Thirty-nine large areas reported over-the-year unemployment rate decreases,
nine registered increases, and one had no change. Las Vegas-Paradise, Nev.,
experienced the largest unemployment rate decline from December 2011 (-3.3
percentage points). The next largest rate declines occurred in Tampa-St.
Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla. (-2.2 percentage points), and Orlando-Kissimmee-
Sanford, Fla. (-2.0 points). Buffalo-Niagara Falls, N.Y., and Pittsburgh, Pa.,
recorded the largest over-the-year unemployment rate increases (+0.6
percentage point each).
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 December 2012, Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, Mich., registered the highest
jobless rate among the divisions, 11.4 percent. Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick,
Md., reported the lowest division rate, 5.0 percent. (See table 2.)
Eighteen of the metropolitan divisions recorded over-the-year jobless rate
decreases in December, while 15 registered increases and 1 had no change.
Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach-Deerfield Beach, Fla., and West Palm Beach-Boca
Raton-Boynton Beach, Fla., posted the largest rate declines from a year
earlier (-1.8 percentage points each). Seven additional divisions had
decreases of more than 1.0 percentage point. Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, Mich.,
and Gary, Ind., reported the largest over-the-year unemployment rate increases
(+0.7 percentage point each).
In 7 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 December. Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Mass.-N.H., recorded the largest
rate difference among its divisions, 5.8 percentage points (Lawrence-Methuen-
Salem, Mass.-N.H., 10.9 percent, compared with Framingham, Mass., 5.1 percent).
Metropolitan Area Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
In December, 283 metropolitan areas reported over-the-year increases in
nonfarm payroll employment, 83 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. (+118,700), followed by Houston-Sugar Land-
Baytown, Texas (+84,500), and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, Calif. (+83,200).
The largest over-the-year percentage gain in employment was reported in Lafayette,
La. (+8.6 percent), followed by Elkhart-Goshen, Ind. (+7.0 percent), and
Pascagoula, Miss. (+6.7 percent). (See table 3.)
The largest over-the-year decrease in employment occurred in Brownsville-Harlingen,
Texas (-4,400), followed by Peoria, Ill. (-3,000), and Memphis, Tenn.-Miss.-Ark.
(-2,600). The largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment was reported
in Danville, Ill. (-3.7 percent), followed by Decatur, Ill. (-3.6 percent), and
Brownsville-Harlingen, Texas, and Las Cruces, N.M. (-3.4 percent each).
Over the year, nonfarm employment rose in all 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 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, Texas (+4.3 percent), and Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown,
Texas (+3.2 percent).
Metropolitan Division Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
Nonfarm payroll employment data were available in December 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 and 3 reported losses. The largest over-the-year
increases in employment within the metropolitan divisions occurred in New York-White
Plains-Wayne, N.Y.-N.J. (+92,600), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, Calif.
(+69,500), and Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas (+51,400). The largest over-the-year
decreases in employment within the metropolitan divisions were in Gary, Ind.
(-6,500), and Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, Fla. (-3,700). (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. (+3.4 percent),
followed by Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas (+3.2 percent), and Peabody, Mass. (+3.1
percent). The largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment occurred in
Gary, Ind. (-2.4 percent).
_____________
The Regional and State Unemployment 2012 Annual Averages news release is scheduled
to be released on Friday, March 1, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. (EST). The Regional and
State Employment and Unemployment news release for January 2013 is scheduled to be
released on Monday, March 18, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT). The Metropolitan Area
Employment and Unemployment news release for January 2013 is scheduled to be
released on Friday, March 22, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).
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| Current Employment Statistics (CES) Data Error |
| |
| BLS has identified errors in the local government employment |
| data for Shreveport-Bossier City, La. metropolitan statistical area|
| (43340). Local government data in this area has been corrected for |
| July and August 2010 in addition to the 2010 annual average value. |
| More information on this data correction and a complete listing |
| of corrections to the CES State and Area database can be found |
| at www.bls.gov/bls/errata/sae_errata.htm. |
| |
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| Upcoming Changes to Local Area Unemployment Statistics Data |
| |
| Effective with the issuance of the Regional and State Unemployment |
| 2012 Annual Averages news release on Friday, March 1, 2013, the |
| labor force data for census regions and divisions and all states, |
| the District of Columbia, and the seven modeled substate areas |
| presented in tables 1 and 2 of this news release will be revised |
| from 2008 to 2012, incorporating updated inputs, new population |
| controls, and reestimation of models. The new population controls |
| will reflect the annual updating of population estimates by the |
| U.S. Census Bureau. Labor force estimates for all other metro- |
| politan areas and metropolitan divisions subsequently will be |
| revised to reflect updated inputs and adjustment to the new |
| statewide estimates. Data back to 2008 are subject to revision, |
| and the revised estimates will be published with the March 2013 |
| Regional and State Employment and Unemployment news release on |
| Friday, April 19, 2013. |
| |
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| Upcoming Changes to Current Employment Statistics Data |
| |
| Effective with the release of January 2013 estimates on Monday, |
| March 18, all nonfarm payroll employment estimates for states |
| and areas presented in tables 3 and 4 of this news release will |
| be adjusted to 2012 benchmark levels. Seasonally adjusted series |
| will be subject to revision from 1990 forward. Not seasonally |
| adjusted payroll data back to April 2011 will also be subject to |
| revision. |
| |
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