Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment (Monthly) News Release — 2008-12-02

Unemployment rates were higher in October than a year earlier in 361 of the 369 metropolitan areas and lower in 8 areas, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Thir- teen areas recorded jobless rates of at least 10.0 percent, while 11 areas registered rates below 3.0 percent. The national unemployment rate in October was 6.1 percent, not seasonally adjusted, up from 4.4 percent a year earlier. In October, 98 metropolitan areas reported jobless rates of at least 7.0 percent, up from 16 areas a year earlier, while 43 areas posted rates below 4.0 percent, down from 151 areas in October 2007. El Centro, Calif., and neighboring Yuma, Ariz., continued to record the highest unemployment rates, 27.6 and 19.5 percent, respectively. Bismarck, N.D., registered the lowest jobless rate, 2.2 percent, fol- lowed by Logan, Utah-Idaho, at 2.4 percent. Overall, 148 areas post- ed unemployment rates above the U.S.