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Highest unemployment.
Detroit, Michigan continues to hold the title of the metropolitan area with the weakest employment picture, losing 26,600 jobs in the May report. With the area’s dependence on goods-producing industries like manufacturing and construction, Detroit has been challenged to add new jobs to their local economy. In addition to Michigan, several portions of California, like Santa Ana, Anaheim, Irvine and El Centro have also been particularly hard hit. While other cities in California, especially in the Silicon Valley area, continue to add jobs as a result of the strength in the IT and engineering industries, the state has been negatively impacted by the subprime mortgage meltdown with increasing job losses relating to credit intermediation and financial services firms in the area.
Lowest unemployment.
Right now, low unemployment follows those regions with hybrid economies that encapsulate a wide range of industries, with a heavy dependence on professional skills, and service-producing sectors. Metropolitan areas like Dallas (+46,700 jobs in May), New York (+40,900 jobs in May) and Washington, D.C. (+25,800 jobs in May) are all examples of this and as such have month-over-month increases in the number of jobs available versus experiencing some of the widespread job losses of other cities. What these regions have going for them is the right balance of weaker and stronger segments of their economies which are keeping their job markets afloat.
Of note.
Mapping out areas of note |
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The largest year-over-year increases in nonfarm employment for metropolitan divisions occurred in Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas (+46,700), New York-White Plains-Wayne, N.Y.-N.J. (+40,900), Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Virginia-Maryland-West Virginia (+25,800), and Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Washington (+21,700). |
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The largest year-over-year declines in nonfarm employment were reported in Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, Michigan (-26,600), Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, California (-21,000), and Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, Michigan (-20,800). |
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El Centro, California, continued to have the highest unemployment rate, 19.2 percent, followed by the adjacent area of Yuma, Arizona, at 17.6 percent. |
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Idaho Falls, Idaho, and Logan, Utah-Idaho, registered the lowest jobless rates, 1.9 and 2.1 percent, respectively. |
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