Metropolitan Area Employment And Unemployment: April 2003 — 2003-06-05

In April, 159 metropolitan areas recorded lower unemployment rates than a year earlier, 143 areas had higher rates, and 29 areas had rates that were unchanged, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Seventeen areas posted unemployment rates below 3.0 percent, with seven of these located in the Midwest and seven in the South. Twelve areas registered jobless rates of at least 10.0 percent, eight of which were located in California and three were along the Mexican border in other states. The national unemployment rate in April was 5.8 percent, not seasonally adjusted. Seventy-two metropolitan areas had unemployment rates below 4.0 percent in April, almost the same number of areas (70) as a year earlier, while 53 areas recorded rates of at least 7.0 percent, up slightly from 47 areas in April 2002.