Las Vegas posted the highest jobless rate in May, at 29.0%, among all large, US metropolitan areas with more than 1 million in population, according to data released today by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Vegas’ jobless rate was up 25.0 percentage points from the same time last year.
Detroit posted the second highest unemployment rate in May at 23.7% followed by the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford area in Florida at 22.6%.
The lowest jobless rate among large metro areas in May could be found in Phoenix, Arizona, at 8.3%. It was followed by both Birmingham, Alabama, and Hartford, Connecticut, at 8.7% each.
Among US metropolitan areas of all sizes, the Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina area in Hawaii posted the highest unemployment rate at 33.4%. Second-highest was Atlantic City, New Jersey, at 32.4%.
El Centro, California, has often posted the highest jobless rates among metro areas in the past. Its jobless rate was at 27.8% in May.
The metro area with the lowest unemployment rate was in Logan, Utah, at 4.8%. It was followed by Lincoln, Nebraska, at 5.0% and Idaho Falls, Idaho, at 5.5%.