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Unemployment rates decreased in 269 metropolitan areas for year ending April 2016

June 09, 2016

Unemployment rates were lower in April 2016 than a year earlier in 269 of 387 U.S. metropolitan areas, higher in 94 areas, and unchanged in 24 areas. Twenty-five areas had jobless rates of less than 3.0 percent, and 7 areas had rates of at least 10.0 percent. El Centro, California, had the largest over-the-year unemployment rate decrease (−4.0 percentage points), while Casper, Wyoming (+2.9 percentage points), had the largest increase. The national unemployment rate was 4.7 percent in April 2016, down from 5.1 percent a year earlier.

Change in unemployment rates for metropolitan areas, not seasonally adjusted, April 2015–April 2016



Change in U.S. unemployment rate: 0.4 percentage point.
Hover over a bubble to see data.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

El Centro, California, had the highest unemployment rate (20.1 percent) in April 2016. Ames, Iowa, had the lowest unemployment rate (2.0 percent). A total of 195 areas had April 2016 jobless rates that were below the U.S. rate of 4.7 percent, 177 areas had rates above it, and 15 areas had rates equal to that of the nation.

These data are from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program and are not seasonally adjusted. Data for the most recent month are preliminary and subject to revision. To learn more, see “Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment — April 2016” (HTML) (PDF).

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Unemployment rates decreased in 269 metropolitan areas for year ending April 2016 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2016/unemployment-rates-decreased-in-269-metropolitan-areas-for-year-ending-april-2016.htm (visited April 19, 2024).

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