Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment (Monthly) News Release — 2021-09-01

Unemployment rates were lower in July than a year earlier in 388 of the 389 metropolitan areas and higher in 1 area, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. A total of 31 areas had jobless rates of less than 3.0 percent and 7 areas had rates of at least 10.0 percent. Nonfarm payroll employment increased over the year in 142 metropolitan areas and was essentially unchanged in 247 areas. The national unemployment rate in July was 5.7 percent, not seasonally adjusted, down from 10.5 percent a year earlier. This news release presents statistics from two monthly programs. The civilian labor force and unemployment data are based on the same concepts and definitions as those used for the national household survey estimates. These data pertain to individuals by where they reside. The employment data are from an establishment survey that measures nonfarm employment, hours, and earnings by industry.