Metropolitan Area Employment And Unemployment: November 2006 — 2007-01-03

Unemployment rates were lower in November than a year earlier in 279 of the 367 metropolitan areas, higher in 54 areas, and unchanged in 34 areas, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Forty-two metropolitan areas registered jobless rates below 3.0 per- cent, while two areas recorded rates of at least 10.0 percent. The national unemployment rate in November was 4.3 percent, not seasonally adjusted, down from 4.8 percent a year earlier. In November, 150 metropolitan areas recorded unemployment rates below 4.0 percent, up from 111 areas a year earlier, while 20 areas posted rates of at least 7.0 percent, down from 29 areas in November 2005. Fargo, N.D.- Minn., had the lowest unemployment rate, 1.7 percent, followed by Logan, Utah-Idaho, 2.0 percent. El Centro, Calif., and Yuma, Ariz.--two adjacent, highly agricultural areas--registered the highest jobless rates, 16.2 and 13.3 percent, respectively. Visalia-Porterville, Calif., had the next high- est rate, 8.4 percent.