Metro Unemployment Data: September 2011

Metro Area Unemployment

September 2011National Association of REALTORS®Research DivisionCompilation of Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Data Highlights• Among the 27 metro areas reviewed, the Washington DC area continues to

have the lowest unemployment rate, 6.2 percent in August, while Las Vegas continues to have the highest, at 14.3 percent in August.

• Looking at changes in the last year, 20 large metro areas reviewed saw decreases, or improvement, in the unemployment rate. Two large metro areas reviewed saw an increase, or worsening, in the unemployment rate in that time period, and 5 metro areas had unchanged unemployment rates. By comparison, the unemployment rate in the US decreased by 0.5 percentage points in the year.

• Portland, OR had the greatest improvement in unemployment rate over the year. The unemployment rate there fell by 1.5 percentage points, from 10.5 percent to 9.0 percent. This good news is reinforced by the fact that in the same period, Portland saw growth in the size of the labor force of 0.5 percent. By comparison, the US labor force declined by 0.2 percent in the same period.

• Payroll job growth is pictured in the graphs that follow. Fifteen areas saw job gains in the month while 12 areas saw job losses. From one year ago, 23 metro areas have job gains.

Large Metros Unemployment Rate in June 2011

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

12.0

14.0

16.0

Perc

ent

Unemployment Rate, Phoenix-Mesa AZ

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 09/29/11

10

8

6

4

2

Unemployment Rate, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 09/29/11

14

12

10

8

6

4

Unemployment Rate, San Diego CA

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 09/29/11

12

10

8

6

4

2

Unemployment Rate, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 09/29/11

12

10

8

6

4

2

Unemployment Rate, Denver-Aurora, CO

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 09/29/11

10

8

6

4

2

Unemployment Rate, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MetDiv

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 09/29/11

7

6

5

4

3

2

Unemployment Rate, Atlanta GA

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 09/29/11

12

10

8

6

4

Unemployment Rate, Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL-IN-WI

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 09/29/11

12

10

8

6

4

2

Unemployment Rate, New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 09/29/11

10

8

6

4

2

Unemployment Rate, Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 09/29/11

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

Unemployment Rate, Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 09/29/11

18

16

14

12

10

8

6

Unemployment Rate, Minneapolis-St Paul MN-WI

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 09/29/11

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

Unemployment Rate, St Louis MO-IL

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 09/29/11

12

10

8

6

4

Unemployment Rate, Las Vegas-Paradise-Pahrump, NV CSA

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 09/29/11

17.5

15.0

12.5

10.0

7.5

5.0

2.5

Unemployment Rate, New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island NY-NJ

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 09/29/11

10

8

6

4

2

Unemployment Rate, Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill NC-SC

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 09/29/11

14

12

10

8

6

4

Unemployment Rate, Cincinnati-Middletown-Wilmington, OH-KY-IN CSA

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 09/29/11

12

10

8

6

4

Unemployment Rate, Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 09/29/11

12

10

8

6

4

Unemployment Rate, Columbus OH

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 09/29/11

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

Unemployment Rate, Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton OR-WA

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 09/29/11

12

10

8

6

4

Unemployment Rate, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 09/29/11

10

8

6

4

2

Unemployment Rate, Pittsburgh PA

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 09/29/11

10

8

6

4

2

Unemployment Rate, Memphis TN-AR-MS

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 09/29/11

12

10

8

6

4

Unemployment Rate, Houston-Baytown-Sugar Land, TX

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 09/29/11

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

Unemployment Rate, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 09/29/11

9

8

7

6

5

4

Unemployment Rate, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 09/29/11

12

10

8

6

4

2

Unemployment Rate, Milwaukee-Waukesha WI

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 09/29/11

12

10

8

6

4