Unemployment rates declined last month in more than half of the 372 largest U.S. cities, further evidence of steady improvement in the job market.
The Labor Department says rates fell in 201 metro areas. They rose in 116 and were unchanged in 55. The number of cities with unemployment below 7 percent rose to 180 last month, up from 107 a year ago.
Here are unemployment rates in October for states and cities in the West:
| Metro Unemployment, West | |||
| Unemployment rates by state and city | |||
| Figures in percentages | |||
| Oct. 2012 | Sept. 2012 | Oct. 2011 | |
| Alaska | 6 | 6.3 | 6.9 |
| Anchorage | 5.1 | 5.6 | 6.1 |
| Fairbanks | 5 | 5.4 | 6 |
| Arizona | 8.1 | 8 | 9.3 |
| Flagstaff | 7.6 | 7.5 | 8.5 |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman | 9.4 | 9.1 | 10.8 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale | 6.9 | 6.9 | 8.3 |
| Prescott | 8.5 | 8.3 | 9.5 |
| Tucson | 7.1 | 7 | 8.1 |
| Yuma | 29.8 | 29.7 | 28.8 |
| California | 9.8 | 9.7 | 11.3 |
| Bakersfield-Delano | 12.2 | 11.9 | 13.3 |
| Chico | 11 | 11.1 | 12.4 |
| El Centro | 28.1 | 30 | 30.7 |
| Fresno | 13.9 | 13 | 15.7 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | 13.9 | 12.8 | 14.6 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana | 9.6 | 9.4 | 11.2 |
| Madera-Chowchilla | 12.5 | 11.6 | 14.2 |
| Merced | 14.7 | 14.4 | 15.5 |
| Modesto | 13.9 | 13.4 | 15.4 |
| Napa | 6.9 | 6.9 | 8 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | 8.6 | 8.8 | 9.8 |
| Redding | 11.5 | 11.6 | 13.1 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | 11.7 | 11.6 | 13.2 |
| Sacramento-Arden-Arcade | 9.8 | 9.7 | 11.4 |
| Salinas | 8.8 | 8.5 | 10 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos | 8.6 | 8.5 | 9.8 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | 7.7 | 7.7 | 9 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | 7.9 | 7.9 | 9.4 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | 7.3 | 7.4 | 8.9 |
| Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta | 7.3 | 7.1 | 8.4 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | 8.7 | 8.8 | 10.1 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | 7.6 | 7.6 | 9.3 |
| Stockton | 13.6 | 13.4 | 15.8 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield | 9.3 | 9.3 | 10.8 |
| Visalia-Porterville | 14.4 | 14 | 15.6 |
| Yuba City | 15.3 | 14.9 | 16.4 |
| Colorado | 7.5 | 7.4 | 7.7 |
| Boulder | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.8 |
| Colorado Springs | 8.8 | 8.7 | 8.7 |
| Denver-Aurora-Broomfield | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.8 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland | 5.9 | 5.8 | 6.2 |
| Grand Junction | 8.3 | 8.1 | 8.5 |
| Greeley | 8.1 | 7.9 | 8.6 |
| Pueblo | 10.1 | 10.1 | 9.7 |
| Hawaii | 5.5 | 5.6 | 6.7 |
| Honolulu | 5 | 5 | 5.9 |
| Idaho | 6.4 | 6.4 | 8 |
| Boise City-Nampa | 6.5 | 6.5 | 8.4 |
| Coeur d'Alene | 7.5 | 7.3 | 9.2 |
| Idaho Falls | 5.4 | 5.6 | 6.8 |
| Lewiston | 5.7 | 6.2 | 7 |
| Pocatello | 6.2 | 6.2 | 7.5 |
| Montana | 5.4 | 5.1 | 6.3 |
| Billings | 4 | 4 | 4.7 |
| Great Falls | 4.9 | 4.8 | 5.6 |
| Missoula | 5.2 | 5 | 6 |
| Nevada | 10.9 | 11.2 | 13.2 |
| Carson City | 10.7 | 10.9 | 12.6 |
| Las Vegas-Paradise | 11.1 | 11.5 | 13.6 |
| Reno-Sparks | 10.6 | 10.8 | 12.6 |
| New Mexico | 6 | 6 | 7 |
| Albuquerque | 6.4 | 6.4 | 7.6 |
| Farmington | 6 | 6.1 | 7 |
| Las Cruces | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.8 |
| Santa Fe | 4.9 | 4.8 | 5.8 |
| Oregon | 8.1 | 7.6 | 8.8 |
| Bend | 10 | 9.4 | 11.4 |
| Corvallis | 5.8 | 5.7 | 6.2 |
| Eugene-Springfield | 8 | 7.6 | 8.9 |
| Medford | 9.5 | 9.1 | 10.1 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | 7.5 | 7.3 | 8.6 |
| Salem | 8.4 | 8 | 9.1 |
| Utah | 5.1 | 4.7 | 5.9 |
| Logan | 3.8 | 3.5 | 4.3 |
| Ogden-Clearfield | 5.3 | 5 | 6.2 |
| Provo-Orem | 4.8 | 4.5 | 5.7 |
| St George | 6.2 | 5.9 | 7.4 |
| Salt Lake City | 5 | 4.6 | 5.8 |
| Washington | 7.2 | 7.7 | 8.4 |
| Bellingham | 6.4 | 6.9 | 7.4 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale | 6.6 | 6.9 | 7.4 |
| Kennewick-Pasco-Richland | 7.7 | 7.8 | 7.6 |
| Longview | 9.9 | 10.7 | 11 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes | 8.1 | 8.3 | 8.8 |
| Olympia | 6.9 | 7.3 | 7.7 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | 6.9 | 7.3 | 8.3 |
| Spokane | 7.6 | 8 | 8.3 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee | 5.9 | 6.2 | 6.5 |
| Yakima | 7.6 | 8 | 8.2 |
| Wyoming | 4.4 | 4.4 | 5.3 |
| Casper | 4.1 | 4.3 | 5.3 |
| Cheyenne | 5.1 | 5.2 | 6.2 |
