Unemployment Rates Down in 79 percent of U.S. Metro Areas

In September, unemployment rates were lower than they were a year earlier in 308 of the 388 metropolitan areas, higher in 58 areas, and unchanged in 22 areas. A total of 201 metropolitan areas had jobless rates below the U.S. rate of 3.6 percent, 169 areas had rates above it, and 18 areas had rates equal to that of the nation. In September 2018, the national unemployment rate was 3.6 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

At 1.4 percent, Ames, Iowa, had the lowest unemployment rate in the nation in September. El Centro, California (19.3 percent), and Yuma, Arizona (19.1 percent), had the highest unemployment rates in September. Brunswick, Georgia, had the largest over-the-year unemployment rate decrease (-3.2 percentage points), and Texarkana, Texas-Arkansas, had the largest over-the-year unemployment rate increase (+0.9 percentage point).

Click to learn more and to see how this data looks on an interactive map by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.