Yuma, Arizona, had second highest unemployment rate but largest over-the-year decrease

In October 2019, 153 metro areas had unemployment rates of less than 3.0 percent and 2 areas had rates of at least 10.0 percent. El Centro, California (21.2 percent), and Yuma, Arizona (16.1 percent), had the highest unemployment rates. Ames, Iowa, and Burlington-South Burlington, Vermont, had the lowest unemployment rates, 1.3 percent each. A total of 188 areas had October jobless rates below the national rate of 3.3 percent, 182 areas had rates above it, and 19 areas had rates equal to that of the nation.

Chart Image

Chart Data Show over-the-year changes map Unemployment rate and over-the-year change in unemployment rates for metropolitan areas, October 2019, not seasonally adjusted Metropolitan area Unemployment rate, October 2019 Over-the-year change, October 2018–October 2019 El Centro, CA 21.2% 1.5 percentage point(s) Yuma, AZ 16.1 -2.4 Visalia-Porterville, CA 8.0 -0.4 Hanford-Corcoran, CA 6.3 0.1 Bakersfield, CA 6.1 -0.4 Longview, WA 5.9 0.6 Fresno, CA 5.8 -0.6 Merced, CA 5.8 -0.4 Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH 5.7 0.3 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX 5.6 0.1 Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA 5.5 0.1 East Stroudsburg, PA 5.4 0.6 Madera, CA 5.4 -0.4 Monroe, LA 5.4 0.3 Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA 5.3 0.6 Yakima, WA 5.3 0.4 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX 5.2 -0.1 Farmington, NM 5.2 -0.3 Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS 5.2 0.7 Hammond, LA 5.2 0.1 Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ 5.2 -0.5 Shreveport-Bossier City, LA 5.2 0.2 Wheeling, WV-OH 5.2 0.9 Yuba City, CA 5.2 -0.5 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA 5.1 0.6 Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ 5.1 -0.5 Alexandria, LA 5.0 -0.1 Anchorage, AK 5.0 -0.6 Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX 5.0 -0.1 Cumberland, MD-WV 5.0 0.4 Las Cruces, NM 5.0 -0.3 Ocean City, NJ 5.0 -0.7 Rockford, IL 5.0 -0.4 Springfield, OH 5.0 0.6 Stockton-Lodi, CA 5.0 -0.2 Bellingham, WA 4.9 0.6 Danville, IL 4.9 -1.0 Fairbanks, AK 4.9 -0.4 Modesto, CA 4.9 -0.5 Parkersburg-Vienna, WV 4.9 0.1 Rocky Mount, NC 4.9 -0.1 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA 4.9 0.3 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY 4.9 0.8 Decatur, IL 4.8 -0.7 Fayetteville, NC 4.8 0.0 Flint, MI 4.8 0.9 Johnstown, PA 4.8 0.4 Kennewick-Richland, WA 4.8 0.3 Olympia-Tumwater, WA 4.8 0.5 Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ 4.8 -0.2 Beckley, WV 4.7 -0.2 Flagstaff, AZ 4.7 -0.6 Pine Bluff, AR 4.7 0.2 Saginaw, MI 4.7 0.9 Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ 4.6 0.0 Houma-Thibodaux, LA 4.6 0.0 Lafayette, LA 4.6 0.0 Bremerton-Silverdale, WA 4.5 0.2 Grants Pass, OR 4.5 -0.6 Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH 4.5 -0.3 Jackson, MS 4.5 0.7 Walla Walla, WA 4.5 0.5 Williamsport, PA 4.5 0.5 Altoona, PA 4.4 0.6 Charleston, WV 4.4 -0.4 Dalton, GA 4.4 -0.2 Grand Island, NE 4.4 1.8 Hattiesburg, MS 4.4 0.7 Jacksonville, NC 4.4 -0.6 New Orleans-Metairie, LA 4.4 0.0 Albuquerque, NM 4.3 -0.4 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ 4.3 0.2 Baton Rouge, LA 4.3 0.1 Canton-Massillon, OH 4.3 -0.2 Erie, PA 4.3 0.3 Kankakee, IL 4.3 -0.8 Mansfield, OH 4.3 -0.2 Pittsburgh, PA 4.3 0.6 Reading, PA 4.3 0.5 Waterbury, CT 4.3 -0.1 Binghamton, NY 4.2 0.4 Dayton, OH 4.2 0.0 Dover, DE 4.2 0.6 Peoria, IL 4.2 -0.7 Toledo, OH 4.2 -0.5 Wenatchee, WA 4.2 0.4 Akron, OH 4.1 -0.2 Bay City, MI 4.1 0.5 Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA 4.1 0.4 Homosassa Springs, FL 4.1 -0.7 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 4.1 0.3 Sebring, FL 4.1 -0.5 Tucson, AZ 4.1 -0.4 Albany, OR 4.0 -0.5 Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY 4.0 0.3 Clarksville, TN-KY 4.0 0.1 Elmira, NY 4.0 0.1 Greenville, NC 4.0 0.1 Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 4.0 -0.5 Lima, OH 4.0 -0.2 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 4.0 -0.2 Prescott, AZ 4.0 -0.4 Salisbury, MD-DE 4.0 -0.1 Texarkana, TX-AR 4.0 -0.8 The Villages, FL 4.0 -0.6 Corpus Christi, TX 3.9 -0.4 Eugene, OR 3.9 -0.4 Goldsboro, NC 3.9 -0.1 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA 3.9 0.5 Lebanon, PA 3.9 0.5 Syracuse, NY 3.9 0.4 Utica-Rome, NY 3.9 0.3 York-Hanover, PA 3.9 0.4 Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA 3.8 0.5 Chico, CA 3.8 -0.4 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL 3.8 -0.2 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 3.8 -0.5 Greensboro-High Point, NC 3.8 0.1 Lake Charles, LA 3.8 0.3 Memphis, TN-MS-AR 3.8 -0.1 Redding, CA 3.8 -0.5 Rochester, NY 3.8 0.3 Albany, GA 3.7 -0.8 Carbondale-Marion, IL 3.7 -1.0 Casper, WY 3.7 -0.7 El Paso, TX 3.7 -0.2 New Bedford, MA 3.7 -0.3 New Bern, NC 3.7 -0.7 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 3.7 0.1 Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 3.7 -0.5 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 3.7 -0.4 Salem, OR 3.7 -0.4 Salinas, CA 3.7 -0.4 Santa Fe, NM 3.7 -0.5 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 3.6 -0.2 Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, KY 3.6 -0.2 Glens Falls, NY 3.6 0.3 Lansing-East Lansing, MI 3.6 0.7 Lawton, OK 3.6 -0.1 Longview, TX 3.6 -0.2 Medford, OR 3.6 -0.7 Muskegon, MI 3.6 -0.2 Terre Haute, IN 3.6 -0.7 Battle Creek, MI 3.5 0.0 Bloomington, IL 3.5 -0.8 Bowling Green, KY 3.5 0.0 Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 3.5 0.0 Burlington, NC 3.5 0.2 Champaign-Urbana, IL 3.5 -1.0 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 3.5 -0.2 Columbus, GA-AL 3.5 -0.9 Columbus, OH 3.5 -0.3 Fort Smith, AR-OK 3.5 0.1 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 3.5 0.0 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC 3.5 0.2 Hot Springs, AR 3.5 -0.2 Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 3.5 -0.4 Ithaca, NY 3.5 0.4 Killeen-Temple, TX 3.5 -0.5 Lancaster, PA 3.5 0.4 Michigan City-La Porte, IN 3.5 -0.5 Morgantown, WV 3.5 -0.4 Morristown, TN 3.5 0.0 Muncie, IN 3.5 -0.4 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 3.5 -0.2 Pueblo, CO 3.5 -1.5 Racine, WI 3.5 0.6 Springfield, IL 3.5 -0.7 Tulsa, OK 3.5 0.3 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 3.4 0.2 Bend-Redmond, OR 3.4 -0.4 Carson City, NV 3.4 -0.7 Hinesville, GA 3.4 -0.6 Kingston, NY 3.4 0.2 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL 3.4 -0.3 Laredo, TX 3.4 -0.1 New Haven, CT 3.4 0.0 Ocala, FL 3.4 -0.5 Owensboro, KY 3.4 -0.2 Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL 3.4 -0.5 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI 3.4 -0.1 Winston-Salem, NC 3.4 0.0 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 3.3 -0.4 Cheyenne, WY 3.3 -0.4 Fort Wayne, IN 3.3 0.3 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV 3.3 -0.5 Jackson, MI 3.3 0.1 Jackson, TN 3.3 -0.2 Johnson City, TN 3.3 -0.2 Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA 3.3 0.0 Macon-Bibb County, GA 3.3 -1.0 Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI 3.3 0.0 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 3.3 -0.4 Port St. Lucie, FL 3.3 -0.4 Punta Gorda, FL 3.3 -0.5 Rome, GA 3.3 -0.9 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 3.3 -0.3 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 3.3 -0.4 State College, PA 3.3 0.4 Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 3.3 -0.3 Victoria, TX 3.3 -0.1 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 3.2 -0.1 Cleveland, TN 3.2 -0.2 Cleveland-Elyria, OH 3.2 -1.3 Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL 3.2 -0.3 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 3.2 0.0 Gettysburg, PA 3.2 0.2 Janesville-Beloit, WI 3.2 0.7 Kokomo, IN 3.2 -0.4 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN 3.2 -0.4 Valdosta, GA 3.2 -0.7 Warner Robins, GA 3.2 -1.3 Wilmington, NC 3.2 -0.7 Bloomington, IN 3.1 -0.6 Brunswick, GA 3.1 -0.6 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 3.1 -0.2 Duluth, MN-WI 3.1 0.3 Great Falls, MT 3.1 -0.2 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI 3.1 0.1 Midland, MI 3.1 0.0 Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI 3.1 0.4 Niles-Benton Harbor, MI 3.1 -0.3 Raleigh, NC 3.1 -0.1 Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA 3.1 -0.4 Springfield, MA-CT 3.1 -0.2 Tyler, TX 3.1 -0.4 Waco, TX 3.1 -0.2 Wichita, KS 3.1 -0.2 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC 3.0 -0.9 Chattanooga, TN-GA 3.0 -0.4 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR 3.0 0.0 Mobile, AL 3.0 -1.3 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC 3.0 -1.2 Rapid City, SD 3.0 0.1 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA 3.0 -0.3 Trenton, NJ 3.0 -0.1 Abilene, TX 2.9 -0.2 Anniston-Oxford-Jacksonville, AL 2.9 -1.5 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 2.9 -0.7 Billings, MT 2.9 -0.2 California-Lexington Park, MD 2.9 -0.5 Danbury, CT 2.9 0.0 Enid, OK 2.9 0.2 Evansville, IN-KY 2.9 -0.2 Knoxville, TN 2.9 -0.2 Lewiston, ID-WA 2.9 0.2 Lexington-Fayette, KY 2.9 -0.2 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 2.9 -0.5 Monroe, MI 2.9 -1.0 Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL 2.9 -0.4 Oklahoma City, OK 2.9 0.1 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL 2.9 -0.3 Panama City, FL 2.9 -0.1 Pittsfield, MA 2.9 -0.3 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 2.9 -0.5 San Angelo, TX 2.9 -0.1 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 2.9 -0.2 Savannah, GA 2.9 -0.6 Sherman-Denison, TX 2.9 -0.1 Tallahassee, FL 2.9 -0.3 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 2.9 -0.3 Topeka, KS 2.9 -0.3 Wichita Falls, TX 2.9 -0.2 Asheville, NC 2.8 0.0 Athens-Clarke County, GA 2.8 -0.8 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL 2.8 -0.4 Coeur d'Alene, ID 2.8 0.2 Colorado Springs, CO 2.8 -1.2 Corvallis, OR 2.8 -0.4 Elkhart-Goshen, IN 2.8 0.1 Gadsden, AL 2.8 -1.0 Gainesville, FL 2.8 -0.2 Grand Junction, CO 2.8 -1.1 Jacksonville, FL 2.8 -0.3 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN 2.8 -0.3 Leominster-Gardner, MA 2.8 -0.3 Missoula, MT 2.8 -0.2 North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL 2.8 -0.4 Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA 2.8 0.3 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL 2.8 -0.3 Reno, NV 2.8 -0.5 San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 2.8 -0.4 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 2.8 -0.3 Worcester, MA-CT 2.8 -0.2 Barnstable Town, MA 2.7 -0.2 Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL 2.7 -1.2 Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN 2.7 -0.5 Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 2.7 0.0 Kansas City, MO-KS 2.7 0.0 Lincoln, NE 2.7 0.3 Lynchburg, VA 2.7 -0.3 Odessa, TX 2.7 0.3 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 2.7 -0.3 St. Louis, MO-IL 2.7 -0.1 Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 2.7 -0.3 Austin-Round Rock, TX 2.6 -0.2 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA 2.6 -0.1 College Station-Bryan, TX 2.6 -0.1 Eau Claire, WI 2.6 0.4 Green Bay, WI 2.6 0.4 Jonesboro, AR 2.6 -0.2 Lawrence, KS 2.6 -0.1 Lubbock, TX 2.6 -0.2 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN 2.6 0.0 Oshkosh-Neenah, WI 2.6 0.4 Richmond, VA 2.6 -0.2 Ann Arbor, MI 2.5 -0.3 Cape Girardeau, MO-IL 2.5 0.3 Fond du Lac, WI 2.5 0.5 Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI 2.5 0.0 Lewiston-Auburn, ME 2.5 -0.4 Manhattan, KS 2.5 0.0 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 2.5 0.3 Sumter, SC 2.5 -1.2 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA 2.5 0.6 Amarillo, TX 2.4 -0.2 Appleton, WI 2.4 0.2 Bangor, ME 2.4 -0.7 Cedar Rapids, IA 2.4 0.3 Dothan, AL 2.4 -1.5 Gainesville, GA 2.4 -0.7 Joplin, MO 2.4 0.3 Montgomery, AL 2.4 -1.3 Roanoke, VA 2.4 -0.2 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA 2.4 -0.4 Sheboygan, WI 2.4 0.3 Sioux City, IA-NE-SD 2.4 0.5 Sioux Falls, SD 2.4 0.2 Urban Honolulu, HI 2.4 0.0 Wausau, WI 2.4 0.3 Boise City, ID 2.3 0.1 Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 2.3 -0.2 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL 2.3 -0.4 Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 2.3 -1.0 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO 2.3 -0.2 Florence, SC 2.3 -1.3 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN 2.3 0.3 Napa, CA 2.3 -0.2 Pocatello, ID 2.3 0.1 San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 2.3 -0.3 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 2.3 -0.2 Santa Rosa, CA 2.3 -0.2 St. Cloud, MN 2.3 0.1 St. Joseph, MO-KS 2.3 0.1 Staunton-Waynesboro, VA 2.3 -0.2 Winchester, VA-WV 2.3 -0.3 Birmingham-Hoover, AL 2.2 -1.2 Columbus, IN 2.2 -0.2 Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL 2.2 -1.3 Decatur, AL 2.2 -1.1 Greeley, CO 2.2 -0.9 Harrisonburg, VA 2.2 -0.4 Madison, WI 2.2 0.3 Manchester, NH 2.2 0.3 Springfield, MO 2.2 0.3 Tuscaloosa, AL 2.2 -1.2 Twin Falls, ID 2.2 0.1 Auburn-Opelika, AL 2.1 -1.2 Boulder, CO 2.1 -0.9 Charlottesville, VA 2.1 -0.3 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 2.1 0.2 Dover-Durham, NH-ME 2.1 0.2 Huntsville, AL 2.1 -1.2 Midland, TX 2.1 0.1 Portsmouth, NH-ME 2.1 0.1 Rochester, MN 2.1 0.2 St. George, UT 2.1 -1.0 Columbia, SC 2.0 -1.1 Fort Collins, CO 2.0 -0.9 Mankato-North Mankato, MN 2.0 0.2 Portland-South Portland, ME 2.0 -0.5 Dubuque, IA 1.9 0.3 Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC 1.9 -1.0 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC 1.9 -1.1 Idaho Falls, ID 1.9 0.0 Jefferson City, MO 1.9 0.1 Salt Lake City, UT 1.9 -1.0 Spartanburg, SC 1.9 -1.1 Bismarck, ND 1.8 -0.1 Charleston-North Charleston, SC 1.8 -0.9 Grand Forks, ND-MN 1.8 0.0 Ogden-Clearfield, UT 1.8 -1.2 Columbia, MO 1.7 0.1 Provo-Orem, UT 1.7 -0.9 Fargo, ND-MN 1.6 -0.1 Iowa City, IA 1.6 0.1 Logan, UT-ID 1.5 -0.9 Ames, IA 1.3 0.2 Burlington-South Burlington, VT 1.3 -0.3

Unemployment rates were lower in October than a year earlier in 240 of the 389 metropolitan areas, higher in 121 areas, and unchanged in 28 areas. Yuma, Arizona, had the largest over-the-year unemployment rate decrease in October (–2.4 percentage points). Thirty-three other areas had rate declines of at least 1.0 percentage point. The largest over-the year rate increase occurred in Grand Island, Nebraska (+1.8 percentage points).

These data are from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program and are not seasonally adjusted. Data for the most recent month are preliminary. To learn more, see "Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment — October 2019." Also see Charts related to the latest "Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment" news release.

RELATED ARTICLES 49 metro areas had increases in nonfarm employment from October 2018 to October 2019