In August, 118 metropolitan areas reported unemployment rates below 4.0 percent, up from 109 areas a year earlier, while 17 areas posted rates of at least 7.0 percent, down from 20 areas in August 2006. Idaho Falls, Idaho, again had the lowest jobless rate, 1.6 percent, followed by Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, at 1.8 percent, Billings, Mont., at 1.9 percent, and Boise City-Nampa, Idaho, at 2.0 percent. Strong economic growth in many Rocky Mountain states has resulted in low unemployment rates in several areas-12 of the 25 areas with jobless rates below 3.0 percent were in Idaho, Montana, Utah, or Wyoming. In contrast, the highest rates in August were reported by two adjacent heavily agricultural areas with extreme weather: El Centro, Calif., 20.7 percent, and Yuma, Ariz., 20.3 percent. Overall, 206 areas recorded unemployment rates below the U.S. figure of 4.6 percent, 157 areas had higher rates, and 6 areas had the same rate.
Two Mississippi areas severely affected by Hurricane Katrina reported the largest over-the-year jobless rate decreases in August: Gulfport-Biloxi and Pascagoula (-3.5 and -1.9 percentage points, respectively). Twenty-five additional areas had rate decreases of 1.0 percentage point or more. Eighteen of these areas were located in South Carolina, Tennessee, or Texas. El Centro, Calif., again registered the largest unemployment rate increase from a year earlier (+2.4 percentage points). Fourteen other areas, nine of which were in Florida, had jobless rate increases of 1.0 percentage point or more from August 2006.
Of the 49 metropolitan areas with a Census 2000 population of 1 million or more, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W.Va., recorded the lowest unemployment rate, 3.0 percent, in August 2007. The areas with the next lowest rates were Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz., and Richmond, Va., at 3.2 percent each, and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, Va.-N.C., at 3.3 percent. Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Mich., again posted the highest rate among the large areas, 7.9 percent. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif., and Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, Ohio, had the next highest jobless rates, 6.1 and 5.9 percent, respectively. Twenty-seven large areas recorded lower unemployment rates than a year ago, 20 registered higher rates, and 2 had no change. Among the large areas, Memphis, Tenn.-Miss.-Ark., continued to re-port the largest over-the-year jobless rate decrease (-1.3 percentage points). Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif., had the largest rate increase from a year earlier (+0.9 percentage point).
Metropolitan Division Unemployment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
Eleven of the most populous metropolitan areas are composed of 34 metropolitan divisions, which are essentially separately identifiable employment centers. The two divisions that compose the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W.Va., metropolitan area-Bethesda-Gaithersburg-Frederick, Md., and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W.Va.-reported the lowest division unemployment rates in August, 2.7 and 3.1 percent, respectively. Eight additional divisions registered rates below 4.0 percent. The divisions with the highest unemployment rates were Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, Mich., 9.3 percent, Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, Mich., 6.9 percent, and Lawrence-Methuen-Salem, Mass.-N.H., 6.7 percent.
Twenty-one of the 34 metropolitan divisions recorded over-the-year unemployment rate decreases in August, 12 had rate increases, and 1 had a rate that was unchanged from that of a year earlier. Among the divisions, Wilmington, Del.-Md. -N.J., registered the largest jobless rate decline from August 2006 (-1.0 percentage point), while Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, Ill., reported the largest increase (+0.9 point).
In 7 of the 11 metropolitan areas that contain divisions, the ranges between the highest and lowest division jobless rates were 1.0 percentage point or more in August. The metropolitan area that had the largest rate difference among its divisions, 3.3 percentage points, was Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Mass.-N.H. (Lawrence-Methuen-Salem, Mass.-N.H., 6.7 percent, compared with Framingham, Mass., 3.4 percent).
Metropolitan Area Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
In August, 311 metropolitan areas reported over-the-year increases in nonfarm payroll employment, 40 reported decreases, and 16 had no change. The largest over-the-year employment gain was reported in New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa. (+79,800), followed by Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas (+78,800), Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas (+64,400), and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Wash. (+57,600). The largest over-the-year percentage increases in employment were reported in Provo-Orem, Utah (+5.9 percent), Wichita, Kan. (+5.7 percent), El Centro, Calif., and Pueblo, Colo. (+5.0 percent each), Grand Junction, Colo. (+4.9 percent), and Gulfport-Biloxi, Miss., and St. George, Utah (+4.8 percent each).
The largest over-the-year decreases in employment occurred in Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Mich. (-22,000), Atlantic City, N.J. (-3,100), Flint, Mich. (-2,900), and Bloomington, Ind. (-2,700). The largest over-the-year percentage decreases in employment were reported in Bay City, Mich. (-3.9 percent), Bloomington, Ind. (-3.3 percent), Saginaw-Saginaw Township North, Mich. (-2.1 percent), and Atlantic City, N.J. (-2.0 percent).
Over the year, nonfarm employment rose in 36 of the 37 metropolitan areas with annual average employment levels above 750,000 in 2006. The largest over-the-year percentage increases in employment in these large metropolitan areas were posted in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif. (+4.1 percent), Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Wash. (+3.4 percent), Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas, Orlando-Kissimmee, Fla., and Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz. (+2.7 percent each), and Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, N.C.-S.C., and Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas (+2.6 percent each). Among the largest areas, the only reported decrease in employment was in Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Mich. (-1.1 percent).
Metropolitan Division Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
Nonfarm payroll employment data were available in August 2007 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, 2 reported losses, and 1 was unchanged. The largest over-the-year level increases occurred in New York-White Plains-Wayne, N.Y.-N.J. (+62,700), Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas (+58,900), Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash. (+50,900), and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W.Va. (+37,500). Over-the-year declines occurred in Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, Mich. (-14,800) and Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, Mich. (-7,200).
The largest over-the-year percentage increases in employment among the metropolitan divisions were reported in Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash. (+3.6 percent), Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas (+2.9 percent), and Camden, N.J., Tacoma, Wash., and Nashua, N.H.-Mass. (+2.5 percent each). Percentage declines in employment were reported in Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, Mich. (-1.9 percent) and Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, Mich. (-0.6 percent).
