Unemployment rates in October fell in 240 metro areas across the country, rose in 121 and were unchanged in 28 metros, according to monthly data from the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The unemployment rate in the Washington, D.C., metro region fell to 2.8% last month, down from 2.9% in September.
Baltimore’s unemployment rate in October was 3.2%, down from 3.3% in September.
Among metro areas with a population of 1 million or more, Salt Lake City registered the lowest October unemployment rate at 1.9%. New Orleans had the highest big city jobless rate in October, at 4.4%.
Among all metro areas, Ames, Iowa, home to Iowa State University, retained the title of lowest unemployment rate, at just 1.3%.
The agricultural community of El Centro, in Southern California near the Mexican border, had the highest unemployment rate, at 21.2%.
