Metropolitan Area Employment And Unemployment: October 2003 — 2003-12-04

In October, 180 metropolitan areas recorded lower unemployment rates than a year earlier, 115 areas had higher rates, and 36 areas had rates that were unchanged, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Eighteen areas posted unemployment rates below 3.0 percent, with nine of these located in the Midwest and six in the South. Nine areas registered jobless rates of at least 10.0 percent, of which six were located in California and the other three were along the Mexican border in other states. The national unemployment rate in October was 5.6 percent, not seasonally adjusted. Eighty-five metropolitan areas recorded unemployment rates below 4.0 percent in October, up from 77 areas a year earlier, while 40 areas recorded unemployment rates of at least 7.0 percent, up from 31 areas in October 2002. Fargo-Moorhead, N.D.-Minn., reported the lowest jobless rate, 1.8 percent.