October 28, 2020

Unemployment rates trended upward for the month of September in 388 of the 389 metropolitan areas and lower in 1 area compared to twelve months earlier. According to Bureau Labor Statistics (BLS), “a total of 73 areas had jobless rates of less than 5.0% and 31 areas had rates of at least 10.0%.” Non-farm payroll employment fell in 251 metropolitan areas and was stable in the remaining 138 areas. The national unemployment rate as of September 2020 rose to 7.7%, not seasonally adjusted, up from 3.3% a year earlier.

Metropolitan Division Unemployment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

Eleven of the most populous metropolitan areas are made up of 38 metropolitan divisions, which are separately identifiable employment centers. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA, in September, experienced the highest unemployment rates among the divisions, 15.1%. Whereas, Dutchess County Putnam County, NY, experienced the lowest unemployment rate among the divisions of 5.7%.

Moreover, BLS stated that, “in September, all 38 metropolitan divisions had over-the-year unemployment rate increases, the largest of which were in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA (+10.8 percentage points), and Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL (+10.7 points). The smallest rate increase occurred in Dutchess County-Putnam County, NY (+2.2 percentage points).”

Metropolitan Division Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

Nonfarm payroll employment fell in all 38 metropolitan divisions over the year. The largest over-the-year decline in employment among the metropolitan divisions took place in New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ (-834,500), followed by Los Angeles-Long Beach Glendale, CA (-437,100), and Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL (-274,200).

Furthermore, the largest over-the-year percentage decreases in employment were observed in Haverhill-Newburyport Amesbury Town, MA-NH (-12.2%), New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ (-11.5%), and Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, MA-NH (-11.4).

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