The document analyzes unemployment rates in 27 major metro areas in the United States. It finds that while unemployment is not back to normal levels everywhere, 24 areas saw job gains in the last year and unemployment improved in 25 areas. Minneapolis had the lowest unemployment rate at 5.5% in December while Las Vegas had the highest at 12.7%. Houston had the biggest payroll growth over the last year.

1. Metro Area Unemployment
February 2012
National Association of REALTORS®
Research Division
Compilation of Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

2. Data Highlights
• While the unemployment rate is not yet back to normal in most areas, improvement is
unmistakable and fairly well-spread geographically.
• From one year ago, 24 metro areas have job gains. Of the 27 areas, Houston had the biggest
percent growth in payrolls in the last year
• Among the 27 metro areas reviewed, the Minneapolis area had the lowest unemployment rate, 5.5
percent in December, while Las Vegas continues to have the highest, at 12.7 percent in December.
Both the Washington, DC and Boston areas had unemployment rates under 6 percent in
December 2011.
• Looking at changes in the last year, 25 large metro areas reviewed saw improvement in the
unemployment rate. Among those reviewed, only the Chicago and New York metro areas saw an
increase, or worsening, in the unemployment rate in that time period. By comparison, the
unemployment rate in the US decreased by 0.8 percentage points in the year.
• Las Vegas, NV had the greatest improvement in unemployment rate over the year. The
unemployment rate there fell by 2.5 percentage points, from 15.2 percent to 12.7 percent. While
Las Vegas saw an increase in the number of employed persons and a decline in the number of
those unemployed, the balance was such that the labor force shrank slightly. By comparison, the
US labor force was grew slightly in the same period.
• Local unemployment rates are pictured in the graphs that follow.

4. Large Metros Unemployment Rate in
December 2011
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
12.0
14.0
Percent

5. Unemployment Rate, Phoenix-Mesa AZ
%
1110090807
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 02/01/12
10
8
6
4
2

6. Unemployment Rate, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA
%
1110090807
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 02/01/12
14
12
10
8
6
4

7. Unemployment Rate, San Diego CA
%
1110090807
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 02/01/12
12
10
8
6
4
2

8. Unemployment Rate, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
%
1110090807
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 02/01/12
12
10
8
6
4
2

9. Unemployment Rate, Denver-Aurora, CO
%
1110090807
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 02/01/12
10
8
6
4
2

10. Unemployment Rate, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MetDiv
%
1110090807
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 02/01/12
7
6
5
4
3
2

11. Unemployment Rate, Atlanta GA
%
1110090807
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 02/01/12
12
10
8
6
4

12. Unemployment Rate, Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL-IN-WI
%
1110090807
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 02/01/12
12
10
8
6
4

13. Unemployment Rate, New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA
%
1110090807
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 02/01/12
10
8
6
4
2

14. Unemployment Rate, Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division
%
1110090807
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 02/01/12
9
8
7
6
5
4
3

15. Unemployment Rate, Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI
%
1110090807
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 02/01/12
18
16
14
12
10
8
6

16. Unemployment Rate, Minneapolis-St Paul MN-WI
%
1110090807
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 02/01/12
9
8
7
6
5
4
3

17. Unemployment Rate, St Louis MO-IL
%
1110090807
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 02/01/12
12
10
8
6
4

18. Unemployment Rate, Las Vegas-Paradise-Pahrump, NV CSA
%
1110090807
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 02/01/12
16
14
12
10
8
6
4

19. Unemployment Rate, New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island NY-NJ
%
1110090807
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 02/01/12
10
8
6
4
2

20. Unemployment Rate, Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill NC-SC
%
1110090807
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 02/01/12
14
12
10
8
6
4

21. Unemployment Rate, Cincinnati-Middletown-Wilmington, OH-KY-IN CSA
%
1110090807
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 02/01/12
12
10
8
6
4

22. Unemployment Rate, Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH
%
1110090807
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 02/01/12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5

23. Unemployment Rate, Columbus OH
%
1110090807
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 02/01/12
10
9
8
7
6
5
4

24. Unemployment Rate, Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton OR-WA
%
1110090807
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 02/01/12
12
10
8
6
4

25. Unemployment Rate, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
%
1110090807
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 02/01/12
10
8
6
4
2

26. Unemployment Rate, Pittsburgh PA
%
1110090807
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 02/01/12
10
8
6
4
2

27. Unemployment Rate, Memphis TN-AR-MS
%
1110090807
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 02/01/12
12
10
8
6
4

28. Unemployment Rate, Houston-Baytown-Sugar Land, TX
%
1110090807
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 02/01/12
9
8
7
6
5
4
3

29. Unemployment Rate, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
%
1110090807
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 02/01/12
9
8
7
6
5
4

30. Unemployment Rate, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
%
1110090807
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 02/01/12
12
10
8
6
4
2

31. Unemployment Rate, Milwaukee-Waukesha WI
%
1110090807
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 02/01/12
12
10
8
6
4