October 2001 — 2001-11-28

In October, 227 metropolitan areas reported unemployment rates below the U.S. average (5.0 percent, not seasonally adjusted), and 92 areas posted higher rates, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Nine areas recorded rates below 2.0 percent; six of these areas were in the Midwest and three were in the South. Of the five metropolitan areas with jobless rates over 10.0 percent, three were in California's Central Valley and two were along the Mexican border in other states. The metropolitan area employment and unemployment data for the month of October reflect the impact of the terrorist attacks of September 11. The labor market in many areas had been weakening before the attacks, and those events exacerbated this weakness. While it is not possible to quantify the effect of the terrorist attacks on employment and unemployment, the broad impact of these events is evident.