PROVIDENCE – Jobless rates fell in 333 of the 387 metropolitan areas nationwide over the year in May, including in the Providence-Warwick-Fall River metropolitan area, the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.
In the remaining 54 areas, the unemployment rate was higher in 49, and unchanged in five, the agency said late last month.
In the Providence metro, the jobless rate fell to 5 percent from 5.9 percent a year earlier.
The lowest unemployment rates in May were in Ames, Iowa; Burlington-South Burlington, Vt.; and Sioux Falls, S.D., at 2.1 percent each.
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Yuma, Ariz., had the highest unemployment rate at 20.9 percent.
A total of 187 areas had May jobless rates above the U.S. rate of 4.5 percent, including the Providence metro. •
