This week, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released new employment and unemployment estimates for December 2019 (seasonally adjusted). See below for greater Seattle highlights:
Employment
Nonfarm payroll employment in greater Seattle rose in December 2019 compared to a year earlier, increasing from 2.05 million in December 2018 to 2.13 million in December 2019.
From November to December 2019, greater Seattle recorded the fourth largest increase in employment out of all large U.S. metros. LA-Long Beach recorded the largest employment gain, followed by Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, and New York-Newark-Jersey City.
Unemployment
The unemployment rate for greater Seattle was lower in December 2019 than a year earlier, decreasing from 3.8 percent to 3.2 percent.
Greater Seattle recorded the seventh largest decline in unemployment among all large U.S. metros from November to December 2019. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach posted the largest decline in unemployment, followed by Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, and Detroit-Warren-Dearborn.
For a visualization of MSA-level employment and unemployment rates, click here.