Unemployment rates were higher in December than a year earlier in 363 of the 369 metropolitan areas, lower in 5 areas, and unchanged in 1 area, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported. Forty areas recorded jobless rates of at least 10.0 percent, while two areas registered rates below 3.0 percent. The national unemployment rate in December was 7.1 percent, not seasonally adjusted, up from 4.8 percent a year earlier.
