The Washington area remains relatively recession-proof, as the capital region recorded the lowest unemployment rate of the nation’s major metropolitan areas in May, the Department of Labor reported Wednesday.
Of urban regions with at least 1 million residents, the Washington area saw the lowest joblessness percentage in the year between May 2009 and May 2010 — 6.0 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The rate inched up from 5.9 percent in April, also the lowest in the nation.
The Washington area was followed by the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, Oklahoma City and Austin, Texas, the bureau reported. Worst off among big cities were Las Vegas. with a 14.1 percent unemployment rate, Riverside, Calif., and the Detroit area.
Where the jobs are, and aren’t
May unemployment figures for major metropolitan areas:
» The best
Washington, 6.0 percent
Minneapolis-St. Paul, 6.4 percent
Oklahoma City, 6.5 percent
Austin, Texas 6.9 percent
» The worst
Las Vegas, 14.1 percent
Riverside, Calif., 13.9 percent
Detroit, 13.7 percent
“It’s a strong sign that the D.C. region is a fundamentally strong one,” said Ed Lazere of the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute. Economists agree that the federal government gives the Washington area a soft landing in even the worst of recessions. Experts have predicted big growth in the region thanks to the increase in government, largely from increased spending in defense, homeland security and financial regulation.
Still, there are disparities in the region. Unemployment is low in the suburbs, but the District has seen its rate reach up to 12 percent in the last year.
Overall, Wednesday’s statistics will bring little comfort to those hoping for the end of lean times. Unemployment rose in 222 of 373 metropolitan areas, the bureau reported. Nationally, the unemployment rate grew from 9.1 percent in May 2009 to 9.3 percent in May 2010.
Critics of the Obama administration said they weren’t surprised by Wednesday’s bad news.
“The only industry that’s profiting from Barack Obama’s sophistry is the federal government. That’s the bottom line,” University of Maryland economist Peter Morici said. “If you don’t make your money from the government, Barack Obama’s policies have made you worse off than you were in the last 18 months.”
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