Metro Unemployment Report: Two Steps Forward, Three Steps Back

Today’s metropolitan unemployment report shows that joblessness is slightly worse than it was last month, with 112 major metro areas in the United States reporting unemployment rates of 10.0 percent or higher for the month of May.

In April, the areas reporting 10.0 percent or higher unemployment numbered 93.

Only 97 areas reported unemployment of below 7.0 percent, down from 333 a year ago.

El Centro, Calif., recorded the highest unemployment rate, 26.8 percent, followed by Yuma, Ariz., at 23.3 percent.

Of areas with a population of 1 million or more, Detroit reported the highest unemployment rate in May, 14.9 percent, followed by Riverside, Calif., at 13.0 percent, and 12.0 percent each for Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, N.C.-S.C., and Providence, R.I. The large areas with the lowest jobless rates were San Antonio, Tex., and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

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