Health care added +24,000 jobs in October

Even though unemployment remains relatively flat at 9.6 percent, the health care industry added 24,000 jobs according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The number of unemployed persons, at 14.8 million, was little changed in October.

Of the 49 metropolitan areas with a Census 2000 population of 1 million or more, Las Vegas-Paradise, Nevada, and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, California, registered the highest unemployment rates in September, 15.0 and 14.8 percent, respectively.

The lowest jobless rate among the large areas was recorded by Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Virginia-Maryland-West Virginia, 5.9 percent, followed closely by Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 6.0 percent.