Dec. jobless rates down over the year in 296 of 387 metro areas; payroll jobs up in 280

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Dec. jobless rates down over the year in 296 of 387 metro areas; payroll jobs up in 280

Economic News Release

Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment Summary USDL-16-0208

For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Technical information:
Employment: [phone] • [e-mail] • www.bls.gov/sae
Unemployment: [phone] • [e-mail] • www.bls.gov/lau

Media contact: [phone] • [e-mail]


METROPOLITAN AREA EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT -- DECEMBER 2015


Unemployment rates were lower in December than a year earlier in 296 of the 387 metropolitan areas, higher in 79 areas, and unchanged in 12 areas, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Twenty-five areas had jobless rates of less than 3.0 percent, and 12 areas had rates of at least 10.0 percent. Nonfarm payroll employment increased over the year in 280 metropolitan areas, decreased in 94 areas, and was unchanged in 13 areas. The national unemployment rate in December was 4.8 percent, not seasonally adjusted, down from 5.4 percent a year earlier.

Metropolitan Area Unemployment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

Ames, Iowa, had the lowest unemployment rate in December, 2.2 percent. El Centro, Calif., and Yuma, Ariz., had the highest unemployment rates, 19.6 percent and 18.0 percent, respectively. A total of 188 areas had December jobless rates below the U.S. rate of 4.8 percent, 187 areas had rates above it, and 12 areas had rates equal to that of the nation. (See table 1.)

{snip}

[Wellstone ruled]

1. Couple of things that were missed were

the huge layoffs in the Oil Patch as well as tens of thousands of Banking related jobs. Seven states took the biggest hit and they are all Oil Patch States. Couple others that lost jobs were Republican run States that continue their contraction. Example=Wisconsin and Indiana.