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US Metro Unemployment Rate Extremes, July 2025

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Summary

The visual measures unemployment rates in US metropolitan areas for July 2025. The lowest rate is 1.8%, the second-lowest is 2.2%, and the highest is 18.9%. This wide range shows strong regional differences in job availability across 387 metro areas. These disparities matter for understanding local labor market health and recovery patterns.

Key findings

  • Lowest metro unemployment rate is 1.8%.
  • Second-lowest rate reaches 2.2%.
  • Highest rate hits 18.9% in El Centro.
  • Range spans from 1.8% to 18.9%.
  • Data covers 387 US metro areas.

Metrics Framework

  • Unemployment rate is percentage of local labor force without jobs but seeking work.
  • Unit of measure is percent.
  • Time coverage is July 2025, monthly data.
  • Source is Bureau of Labor Statistics for 387 metro areas.

Tags

#US#Unemployment#Metro#2025#Regional

Source

eyeonhousing.org
Source Authority85
Correctness100

Table View

TypeUnemployment Rate
lowest1.8
second lowest2.2
highest18.9

Analysis

Extreme Rate Range
US metro unemployment rates in July 2025 show a wide spread. The lowest rate stands at 1.8% in Rapid City, SD, and Sioux Falls. The second-lowest is 2.2% in Bozeman, MT. The highest reaches 18.9% in El Centro, CA. This range from 1.8% to 18.9% covers data from 387 metropolitan areas. The gap of 17.1 percentage points highlights sharp local differences in labor conditions.
Lowest Unemployment Areas
Two metro areas tied for the lowest unemployment at 1.8% in July 2025. Rapid City, SD, and Sioux Falls reported this rate. Bozeman, MT, followed closely at 2.2%. These low figures represent the best local labor markets among 387 areas. The 1.8% rate is over ten times lower than the 18.9% high. Such lows indicate strong job demand in these regions.
Highest Unemployment Area
El Centro, CA, recorded the highest metro unemployment rate at 18.9% in July 2025. This stands far above the lowest 1.8% and second-lowest 2.2%. Among 387 metro areas, this peak shows severe local job scarcity. The 18.9% rate is 10.5 times the 1.8% low. Regional factors likely drive this extreme.
National Context Comparison
Metro extremes in July 2025 contrast with the national average of 4.2%. The lowest 1.8% is well below this benchmark. The 2.2% second-lowest also falls under 4.2%. Yet 18.9% towers over it by 14.7 points. Across 387 areas, these values reveal uneven recovery. Local rates vary widely from the 4.2% norm.

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FAQ

The unemployment rate measures the share of the local labor force that is jobless and actively seeking work. It uses data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For July 2025, rates cover 387 US metro areas as percentages. People count as unemployed if not working, available, and job searching in the past four weeks.

A low rate like 1.8% means strong local job demand and few people seeking work. A high rate like 18.9% signals weak job availability and many in the labor force without jobs. The 2.2% second-low shows near-tight markets. Extremes reflect regional economic health differences in July 2025.

The data covers July 2025 for 387 US metropolitan areas. It shows extremes: 1.8%, 2.2%, and 18.9%. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases metro data about one month after national figures. No forecast data appears in this visual.

The rate comes from Current Population Survey data by BLS. It includes those not employed, available for work, and who searched for jobs in the last four weeks. Expressed as percent of civilian labor force. July 2025 metro values like 1.8% and 18.9% follow this method. The available sources do not specify weighting.