April 1998 — 1998-06-03

In April, 200 of the 328 metropolitan areas recorded unemployment rates below the U.S. average (4.1 percent, not seasonally adjusted), while 119 areas had higher rates, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The 20 metropolitan areas with the lowest jobless rates--all below 2 percent--were again in the Midwest and South. Of the 20 areas with the highest rates, 11 were in California and 6 more were along the Mexican border in other states. Unemployment rates were below 3.5 percent in 146 metropolitan areas in April, while rates of 6.5 percent or higher were reported in 34 areas. The lowest jobless rates were recorded in Charlottesville, Va. (1.1 percent), Madison, Wis., and Lincoln, Neb. (1.2 percent each), and Fargo-Moorhead, N.D.-Minn. (1.3 percent). The highest rates were in Yuma, Ariz. (27.1 percent), Yuba City, Calif. (17.7 percent), and Merced, Calif. (17.2 percent).