metro area unemployment data: january 2012

Metro Area Unemployment

January 2012National Association of REALTORS®Research DivisionCompilation of Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Data Highlights• While the unemployment rate is not yet back to normal in most areas, improvement is

unmistakable and fairly well-spread geographically.• Among the 27 metro areas reviewed, the Minneapolis area had the lowest

unemployment rate, 5.1 percent in November, while Las Vegas continues to have the highest, at 12.5 percent in November. Both the Washington, DC and Boston areas had unemployment rates under 6 percent in November 2011.

• Looking at changes in the last year, 26 large metro areas reviewed saw decreases, or improvement, in the unemployment rate. Among those reviewed, only the Chicago metro area saw an increase, or worsening, in the unemployment rate in that time period. By comparison, the unemployment rate in the US decreased by 1.1 percentage points in the year.

• Las Vegas, NV had the greatest improvement in unemployment rate over the year. The unemployment rate there fell by 2.4 percentage points, from 14.9 percent to 12.5 percent. While Las Vegas saw an increase in the number of employed persons and a decline in the number of those unemployed, the balance was such that the labor force shrank slightly. By comparison, the US labor force was roughly unchanged 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 November 2011

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

12.0

14.0

Perc

ent

Unemployment Rate, Phoenix-Mesa AZ

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 01/17/12

10

8

6

4

2

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

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 01/17/12

14

12

10

8

6

4

Unemployment Rate, San Diego CA

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 01/17/12

12

10

8

6

4

2

Unemployment Rate, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 01/17/12

12

10

8

6

4

2

Unemployment Rate, Denver-Aurora, CO

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 01/17/12

10

8

6

4

2

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

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 01/17/12

7

6

5

4

3

2

Unemployment Rate, Atlanta GA

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 01/17/12

12

10

8

6

4

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

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 01/17/12

12

10

8

6

4

2

Unemployment Rate, New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 01/17/12

10

8

6

4

2

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

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 01/17/12

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

Unemployment Rate, Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 01/17/12

18

16

14

12

10

8

6

Unemployment Rate, Minneapolis-St Paul MN-WI

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 01/17/12

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

Unemployment Rate, St Louis MO-IL

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 01/17/12

12

10

8

6

4

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

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 01/17/12

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 01/17/12

10

8

6

4

2

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

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 01/17/12

14

12

10

8

6

4

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

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 01/17/12

12

10

8

6

4

Unemployment Rate, Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 01/17/12

11

10

9

8

7

6

5

Unemployment Rate, Columbus OH

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 01/17/12

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

Unemployment Rate, Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton OR-WA

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 01/17/12

12

10

8

6

4

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

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 01/17/12

10

8

6

4

2

Unemployment Rate, Pittsburgh PA

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 01/17/12

10

8

6

4

2

Unemployment Rate, Memphis TN-AR-MS

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 01/17/12

12

10

8

6

4

Unemployment Rate, Houston-Baytown-Sugar Land, TX

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 01/17/12

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

Unemployment Rate, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 01/17/12

9

8

7

6

5

4

Unemployment Rate, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 01/17/12

12

10

8

6

4

2

Unemployment Rate, Milwaukee-Waukesha WI

%

1110090807Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 01/17/12

12

10

8

6

4