August 1999 — 1999-09-29

In August, 212 metropolitan areas recorded unemployment rates below the U.S. average (4.2 percent, not seasonally adjusted), while 105 areas had higher rates, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Twenty-three metropolitan areas reported rates below 2.0 percent, with 14 of these located in the Midwest and 6 in New England. Of the five areas with jobless rates over 10.0 percent, three were in the West and two were in the South. Ninety-six metropolitan areas had unemployment rates below 3.0 percent in August, while 38 areas had rates of 6.0 percent or higher. The lowest jobless rates were recorded in Madison, Wis. (1.2 percent), and Stamford- Norwalk, Conn. (1.3 percent). The highest rate, 39.3 percent, was in Yuma, Ariz., where summer jobless rates are about double the winter rates. The area with the next highest rate was Visalia-Tulare-Porterville, Calif. (13.5 percent).