Unemployment rates rose year-on-year in November 2024 across 308 of the 389 metropolitan areas compared to the previous year, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
60 areas reported lower rates and 21 remained unchanged.
The national jobless rate rose to 4.0% (not seasonally adjusted), up from 3.5% in November 2023.
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Key Findings on Unemployment
- Lowest and Highest Rates:
- Sioux Falls, SD, recorded the lowest unemployment rate at 1.5%, followed by Rapid City, SD, at 1.7%.
- El Centro, CA, reported the highest rate at 19.0%.
- Comparison to National Rate:
- 224 areas had rates below the national average of 4.0%.
- 152 areas exceeded the national rate, and 13 matched it.
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Significant Changes Over the Year
- Largest Increases: Asheville, NC (+3.4 percentage points) and Kokomo, IN (+3.2 points) experienced the steepest jobless rate increases.
- Largest Decreases: Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI, saw the most significant drop, with a decrease of 3.0 percentage points.
Unemployment in Large Metro Areas
Among metro areas with populations exceeding 1 million:
- Lowest Rate: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT, at 2.7%.
- Highest Rate: Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV, at 5.9%.
- Notable Changes: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI, had the largest increase (+1.7 percentage points), while Hartford experienced the largest decrease (-1.1 points).
Nonfarm Employment Trends
Employment showed minimal growth, with payroll increases in only 32 metropolitan areas. Employment remained essentially unchanged in 357 areas.
Notable Employment Gains
- Highest Numeric Increases:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA (+139,200).
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX (+64,500).
- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX (+62,500).
- Largest Percentage Increases:
- Rochester, MN (+5.9%), Boise City, ID (+4.3%), and Stockton-Lodi, CA (+4.3%).
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Large Metro Employment Shifts
For metro areas with over 1 million residents:
- Employment increased in 16 areas.
- Richmond, VA, saw the largest percentage rise (+3.4%), followed by Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN (+2.5%), and Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC (+2.3%).
What is a Metropolitan Area?
A metropolitan area is a region that includes a large city and its surrounding suburbs and communities, which are economically and socially interconnected. It is typically defined based on population density and commuting patterns, with the central city serving as the hub for employment, commerce, and cultural activities.
