This morning, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released preliminary June 2010 unemployment rates for all Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs). The unemployment rate measures the percentage of the local workforce that reports itself as being out of work, information that the government collects by surveying households.
Summary:
- In June, an estimated 519,400 people in the Chicago metro area were unemployed, for a preliminary unemployment rate of 10.6% (not seasonally adjusted).
- This marks an increase from 10.3% in May 2010, and is above the national rate of 9.6%.
- Nonfarm employment, a separate measure based on data collected directly from employers about the number of jobs they are responsible for, suggests the Chicago MSA added 8,100 jobs between May and June, bringing total nonfarm employment up to 4.26 million.
- Chicago was among 14 of the 15 largest metros that experienced increases in unemployment rates before seasonal adjustment from May to June (Boston remained unchanged), as illustrated in the following chart:
Note: Figures are not seasonally adjusted. All are preliminary, & subject to revision with the next BLS data release on 09/01/10
The following summary points and map compare preliminary June 2010 unemployment rates in MSAs to the US average:
- Among 49 MSAs with a population in 2000 of at least 1 million, 22 (including Chicago) exhibited unemployment rates above the US rate of 9.6% in June
- The lowest unemployment rates were in Washington, D.C. (6.4%), Oklahoma City (6.7%), and Minneapolis (6.8%)
- The highest rates were in Las Vegas (14.5%), Riverside, CA (14.4%), and Detroit (14.3%)
The full press release and data for all MSAs can be found on the BLS website.
