Metropolitan Area Employment And Unemployment: July 2007 — 2007-08-29

Unemployment rates were lower in July than a year earlier in 211 of the 369 metropolitan areas, higher in 131 areas, and unchanged in 27 areas, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Twenty-two metropolitan areas registered jobless rates below 3.0 percent, while two areas recorded rates of at least 10.0 percent. The national unem- ployment rate in July was 4.9 percent, not seasonally adjusted. In July, 91 metropolitan areas reported unemployment rates below 4.0 per- cent, down slightly from 93 areas a year earlier, while 28 areas posted rates of at least 7.0 percent, down from 36 areas in July 2006. Idaho Falls, Idaho, again had the lowest jobless rate, 1.5 percent, followed by two additional Idaho areas--Boise City-Nampa and Coeur d'Alene--at 1.9 percent each. Two adjacent heavily agricultural areas with extreme weather registered the high- est jobless rates in July: El Centro, Calif., 20.2 percent, and Yuma, Ariz., 19.5 percent.