Columbia Local Labor Force and Unemployment

 

 

Source:  http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/metro.pdf

 

WASHINGTON, DC - February 4, 2009 - Unemployment rates were higher in December than a year earlier in 363 of the 369 metropolitan areas, lower in 5 areas, and unchanged in 1 area, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  The national unemployment rate in December was 7.1 percent, not seasonally adjusted, up from 4.8 percent a year earlier.

In December, 168 metropolitan areas reported jobless rates of at least 7.0 percent, up from 33 areas a year earlier, while 22 areas posted rates below 4.0 percent, down from 112 areas in December 2007. El Centro, Calif., continued to record the highest unemployment rate, 22.6 percent.

Among the 310 metropolitan areas for which nonfarm payroll data were available in December, 72 metropolitan areas recorded over-the-year employment gains, 234 reported losses, and 4 were unchanged. The largest over-the-year employment increase was recorded in Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas (+57,300), followed by Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas (+43,300), San Antonio, Texas (+14,900), Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W.Va. (+11,800), and Austin-Round Rock, Texas (+9,600). The largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment was recorded in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas (+3.8 percent), followed by Grand Junction, Colo. (+3.4 percent), Laredo, Texas (+3.1 percent), College Station-Bryan, Texas (+2.6 percent), and Bismarck, N.D. (+2.5 percent).

The largest over-the-year decreases in employment occurred in New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa. (-120,300), Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Mich. (-89,700), Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz. (-86,800), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, Calif. (-82,900), and Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Ga. (-82,000). The largest over-the-year percentage decreases in employment were experienced in Yuma, Ariz. (-7.9 percent), Flint, Mich. (-7.5 percent), Lake Havasu City-Kingman, Ariz. (-7.2 percent), Elkhart-Goshen, Ind. (-6.1 percent), and Prescott, Ariz. (-5.6 percent).