Nearly 90 percent of major U.S. cities had lower unemployment rates in December than the same month a year earlier, a reflection of stronger hiring nationwide.
The Labor Department said Wednesday that unemployment rates fell in 329 cities last year. They rose in 37 cities and were unchanged in seven.
The national unemployment rate fell in December to 8.5 percent — the lowest level in nearly three years. Employers added 200,000 net jobs, the sixth straight month of solid hiring.
Unemployment rates rose from November to December in a majority of U.S. cities. However monthly metro area unemployment data can be volatile because they aren't adjusted for seasonal variations, such as holiday hiring.
The government will report Friday on U.S. hiring and unemployment in January.
Below are the unemployment rates in December, for states and cities in the Northeast:
| Metro Area Unemployment Rates, Northeast | |||
| Unemployment rates by state and city | |||
| Figures in percentages | |||
| December 2011 | November 2011 | December 2010 | |
| Connecticut | 7.6 | 7.9 | 8.6 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk | 7.1 | 7.4 | 8 |
| Danbury | 6 | 6.3 | 7 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford | 7.6 | 7.9 | 8.7 |
| New Haven | 8 | 8.2 | 8.9 |
| Norwich-New London | 8 | 8.1 | 8.5 |
| Waterbury | 9.8 | 10.2 | 11.4 |
| Maine | 7 | 6.7 | 7.5 |
| Bangor | 6.3 | 6 | 7 |
| Lewiston-Auburn | 6.7 | 6.5 | 7.5 |
| Portland-South Portland-Biddeford | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.9 |
| Massachusetts | 6.5 | 6.4 | 8 |
| Barnstable Town | 7.7 | 7 | 9.4 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Quincy | 5.8 | 5.7 | 7.1 |
| Leominster-Fitchburg-Gardner | 8.7 | 8.5 | 10.6 |
| New Bedford | 9.9 | 9.5 | 11.5 |
| Pittsfield | 6.7 | 6.4 | 8.2 |
| Springfield | 7.5 | 7.3 | 9 |
| Worcester | 6.9 | 6.8 | 8.5 |
| New Hampshire | 4.9 | 4.9 | 5.3 |
| Manchester | 4.8 | 4.8 | 5.3 |
| Portsmouth | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.7 |
| Rochester-Dover | 4.8 | 4.6 | 5.2 |
| New Jersey | 8.7 | 8.9 | 8.7 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton | 12.7 | 12.5 | 12.5 |
| Ocean City | 15.1 | 14.1 | 14.1 |
| Trenton-Ewing | 7.3 | 7.4 | 7.2 |
| Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton | 12.8 | 12.6 | 13 |
| New York | 8 | 7.9 | 8 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | 6.9 | 6.7 | 7.1 |
| Binghamton | 8.2 | 7.7 | 8.5 |
| Buffalo-Niagara Falls | 7.9 | 7.3 | 8.1 |
| Elmira | 7.9 | 7.5 | 8 |
| Glens Falls | 8.4 | 7.7 | 8.5 |
| Ithaca | 5.5 | 5.4 | 5.6 |
| Kingston | 7.8 | 7.6 | 8 |
| New York-N. New Jersey-Long Island | 8.2 | 8.3 | 8.1 |
| New York City | 8.8 | 9.1 | 8.6 |
| Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown | 7.3 | 7.1 | 7.6 |
| Rochester | 7.3 | 6.9 | 7.8 |
| Syracuse | 8 | 7.5 | 8.3 |
| Utica-Rome | 8.1 | 7.4 | 8.1 |
| Pennsylvania | 7.2 | 7.4 | 8.1 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | 7.9 | 8.1 | 8.7 |
| Altoona | 6.6 | 6.5 | 7.3 |
| Erie | 7.5 | 7.4 | 8.7 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | 6.5 | 6.8 | 7.3 |
| Johnstown | 7.9 | 7.7 | 8.9 |
| Lancaster | 6.1 | 6.3 | 6.8 |
| Lebanon | 5.8 | 6 | 6.8 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | 7.9 | 8.1 | 8.4 |
| Pittsburgh | 6.6 | 6.6 | 7.5 |
| Reading | 7.3 | 7.5 | 8.4 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre | 8.5 | 8.6 | 9.2 |
| State College | 5 | 4.9 | 5.7 |
| Williamsport | 7.2 | 7.1 | 8.3 |
| York-Hanover | 7.1 | 7.3 | 8 |
| Rhode Island | 10.7 | 10.4 | 10.9 |
| Providence-Fall River-Warwick | 10.4 | 10.2 | 10.9 |
| Vermont | 4.9 | 4.7 | 5.5 |
| Burlington-South Burlington | 3.8 | 3.7 | 4.4 |
