Bureau of Labor Statistics Washington, D.C. 20212
Technical information:
Employment:
(202) 691-6559
USDL 08-1772
http://www.bls.gov/sae/
Unemployment:
(202) 691-6392
http://www.bls.gov/lau/
For release: 10:00 A.M. (EST)
Media contact:
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Tuesday, December 2, 2008
METROPOLITAN AREA EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT: OCTOBER 2008
Unemployment rates were higher in October than a year earlier in 361 of the 369 metropolitan areas
and lower in 8 areas, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.
Thirteen areas recorded jobless rates of at least 10.0 percent, while 11 areas registered rates below 3.0
percent. The national unemployment rate in October was 6.1 percent, not seasonally adjusted, up from
4.4 percent a year earlier.
Metropolitan Area Unemployment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
In October, 98 metropolitan areas reported jobless rates of at least 7.0 percent, up from 16 areas a
year earlier, while 43 areas posted rates below 4.0 percent, down from 151 areas in October 2007. El
Centro, Calif., and neighboring Yuma, Ariz., continued to record the highest unemployment rates, 27.6
and 19.5 percent, respectively. Bismarck, N.D., registered the lowest jobless rate, 2.2 percent, followed
by Logan, Utah-Idaho, at 2.4 percent. Overall, 148 areas posted unemployment rates above the U.S.
figure of 6.1 percent, 216 areas reported rates below it, and 5 areas had the same rate. (See table 1 and
the map.)
El Centro, Calif., recorded the largest jobless rate increase from October 2007 (+6.8 percentage
points), followed by Elkhart-Goshen, Ind. (+6.3 points). An additional 31 areas registered over-the-year
unemployment rate increases of 3.0 percentage points or more, and another 92 areas had rate increases
of 2.0 to 2.9 points. Jonesboro, Ark., experienced the largest jobless rate decrease from a year earlier
(-0.6 percentage point). Fort Smith, Ark.-Okla., and Morgantown, W.Va., reported