March 2000 — 2000-05-03

In March, 226 metropolitan areas reported unemployment rates below the U.S. average (4.3 percent, not seasonally adjusted), while 99 areas registered higher rates, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Nineteen metropolitan areas had rates below 2.0 percent, with seven of these located in the Midwest, seven in the South, and four in New England. Of the 10 areas with jobless rates over 10.0 percent, 7 were in California and 2 were along the Mexican border in other states. In March, 104 metropolitan areas reported unemployment rates below 3.0 percent, while 35 areas had rates of at least 6.0 percent. The lowest unemployment rates were again recorded in Columbia, Mo. (1.0 percent), and Charlottesville, Va. (1.3 percent). The highest rates were registered in three agricultural areas in central California: Visalia-Tulare-Porterville (18.8 percent), Merced (16.8 percent), and Fresno (16.4 percent).