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Regional unemployment rates declined considerably from November 2010 to November 2011

On January 4th, the “Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment” report was published. According to the report’s findings, most of the United States’ metropolitan areas’ unemployment rates decreased in November, based upon a year-to-year comparison.

From November 2010 to November 2011, unemployment rates declined in 351 of the United States’ 372 metropolitan areas. Additionally, rates either rose or remained unchanged in 16 and five areas, respectively.

November’s report also revealed that 58 metropolitan areas had recorded unemployment rates of 10 percent or higher during the month, in comparison to 112 areas a year before. On an even brighter note, the BLS found that 129 metro areas had unemployment rates of seven percent or lower in November, 64 more than in November 2010.

Unfortunately, the report was not completely positive as El Centro, Calif., and Yuma, Ariz. once again recorded the United States’ highest unemployment rates, at 27.2 and 23.7 percent, respectively. However, of equal importance, two Midwestern cities, Bismarck, N.D. and Fargo, N.D.-Minn., documented very low jobless rates, at 2.4 and 3.1 percent, respectively – the lowest in the country, as usual.

At the same time, the BLS also published the following regional employment and inflation statistics in November –

Source: BLS

  • Mid–Atlantic: The greater Baltimore area’s Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) and Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) increased from November 2010 to November 2011, by 3.3 and 3.6 percent, respectively. (Link)
  • Midwest: The greater Minneapolis area’s unemployment rate dropped from 5.4 percent in October to 5.1 percent in November. The area’s jobless rate steadily declined throughout 2011. (Link)
  • Mountain-Plains: From November 2010 to November 2011, employment rose within a variety of industries in Boulder, Colo. Hiring increases occurred in industries like IT (2.3 percent) and professional and business services (6.8 percent). (Link)
  • New England: Providence, R.I.’s unemployment rate decreased slightly in November, down to 10.1 percent, in comparison 10.2 percent in October. The rate was as high as 11.2 percent in July. (Link)
  • New York–New Jersey: Employment diminished within various industries in the greater New York City area from November 2010 to November 2011. Some of the decreases occurred in IT (-4.1 percent) and manufacturing (-2.7 percent). (Link)
  • Southeast: Unfortunately, Tallahassee, Fla.’s unemployment rate rose to 8.3 percent in November. The rate was 7.9 percent in October, the lowest it had been in months. (Link)
  • Southwest: Throughout 2011, Flagstaff, Ariz.’s monthly unemployment rates were much lower than many other cities within the state. Nonetheless, the city’s jobless rate increased quite noticeably towards the end of the year, up to 7.7 percent in November, compared to 7.3 percent in October and September. (Link)
  • West: An array of industries reported year-to-year employment increases within the greater Portland, Ore. area throughout November. Employment rose in the construction and finance industries, among others, by 8.6 and 1.1 percent, respectively. (Link)