Metropolitan Area Employment And Unemployment: Feburary 2003 — 2003-04-22

In February, 168 metropolitan areas recorded lower unemployment rates than a year earlier, 137 areas had higher rates, and 26 areas had rates that were unchanged, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Thirteen metropolitan areas posted jobless rates of at least 10.0 percent, nine of which were located in California and three of which were along the Mexican border in other states. Nine areas reported unemployment rates below 3.0 percent, with five of these located in the South. The national unemployment rate in February was 6.4 percent, not seasonally adjusted. Seventy-three metropolitan areas recorded unemployment rates of at least 7.0 percent in February, down slightly from 79 areas a year ago, while 49 areas had rates below 4.0 percent, up slightly from 43 areas in February 2002.