Metropolitan Area Employment And Unemployment: August 2003 — 2003-10-01

In August, 183 metropolitan areas recorded higher unemployment rates than a year earlier, 123 areas had lower rates, and 25 areas had rates that were unchanged, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Thirteen areas registered unemployment rates below 3.0 per- cent, with seven of these in the Midwest and four in the South. Eight metro- politan areas posted jobless rates of at least 10.0 percent, with five located in California and three along the Mexican border in other states. The na- tional unemployment rate in August was 6.0 percent, not seasonally adjusted. Sixty-three metropolitan areas had unemployment rates below 4.0 percent in August, about the same number as a year ago (66), while 57 areas recorded rates of at least 7.0 percent, up from 44 areas a year ago.