U.S. Labor Market Continues to Improve

From today's BLS Report on metropolitan area unemployment rates:

In February 2007, 101 metropolitan areas recorded unemployment rates below 4%, up from 77 areas a year earlier, while 36 metropolitan areas had jobless rates of 7% or higher, down from 52 areas in February 2006.

Unemployment rates were lower in February than a year earlier in 249 of the 369 metropolitan areas, higher in 94 areas, and unchanged in 26 areas.

The only two states to lose jobs from February 2006 to February 2007 were Ohio (-11,500 jobs) and Michigan (-44,600 jobs).