Unemployment rates in 224 metropolitan areas — including the D.C. area — fell in August.
The Washington area’s unemployment rate in August was 3.2%, down from 3.3% in July and from 3.4% a year ago.
The D.C. metro area’s unemployment rate remains among the lowest; the lowest unemployment rate among cities with a population of 1 million or more is 2.6%, shared by Birmingham, Boston and Denver.
Among all metro areas, Portland, Maine, had the lowest unemployment rate at 1.7%.
The nation’s highest metro unemployment rate in August was in Yuma, Arizona, at 23%.
The unemployment rate rose in 132 metro areas and were unchanged in 33.
The Labor Department will report the national unemployment rate for September on Friday; it’s expected to remain unchanged since last month’s 3.7%.
