PROVIDENCE – Jobless rates were lower in November than a year earlier in 341 of the 372 metropolitan areas, and the Providence-Fall River-Warwick metropolitan area was among them, according to data released Tuesday by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Providence-Fall River-Warwick metropolitan area had a jobless rate of 6.7 percent in November, compared with November 2013’s jobless rate of 8.9 percent. Rates are not adjusted for seasonality.
The 2.2 percentage point decline put the Providence metro area second among 49 metropolitan areas with a population of 1 million or more for experiencing the largest jobless rate decline, tying with Columbus, Ohio, and trailing only Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, Ill.-Ind.-Wis., which experienced the greatest percentage point decline at 2.4.
Of those metropolitan areas, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif., had the highest unemployment rate in November at 8 percent, while Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minn.-Wis., had the lowest jobless rate among the large areas at 3 percent. Only one metro area in this category had a rate increase – New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, La., which rose 1.4 percentage points to 6.4 percent.
The national unemployment rate in November was 5.5 percent, not seasonally adjusted, a fall from 6.6 percent a year earlier.
Nonfarm payroll employment increased over the year in 313 metropolitan areas, decreased in 55 areas, and was unchanged in four areas. The Providence-Fall River-Warwick area, like the majority of metropolitan areas, saw nonfarm employment grow, by 1.6 percent year over year to 574,300.
Rhode Island saw similar growth, with a 1.2 percent increase in nonfarm employment year over year, with 484,100 employees. Data was not seasonally adjusted.
View labor force and employment data HERE.
