Unemployment rates in most cities were below year-earlier levels in November, the Labor Department reported, but 133 of 372 metropolitan areas posted flat or declining employment from a November 2010.

Unemployment rates at the city level aren’t seasonally adjusted to take things like higher holiday employment into account, so the best comparisons are to year-earlier levels instead of comparing monthly variations.

Without seasonal adjustments the national unemployment rate was 8.2% in November. One hundred thirty seven metropolitan area recorded November unemployment rates above the national average, while 225 were lower.