November 1998 — 1998-12-30

In November, 207 metropolitan areas had unemployment rates below the U.S. average (4.1 percent, not seasonally adjusted), while 113 areas had higher rates, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported. Of the 20 metropolitan areas with rates below 2.0 percent, 14 were located in the Midwest, and 5 were in the South. Of the 14 areas with jobless rates of 9.0 percent or more, 8 were in California, and 5 were along the Mexican border in other states. Unemployment rates below 3.5 percent were reported in 158 metropolitan areas in November, while rates of 6.5 percent or higher were recorded in 31 areas. The lowest jobless rates were in Charlottesville, Va., Fargo- Moorhead, N.D.-Minn., and Rochester, Minn. (1.2 percent each). The highest rate, 22.7 percent, was in Yuma, Ariz., followed by 17.2 percent in McAllen- Edinburg-Mission, Tex., and 16.2 percent in Visalia-Tulare-Porterville, Calif.