The Washington metropolitan area’s unemployment rate remains more than double what it was a year ago, but it continued to trend lower in July and thousands of jobs in the region were regained.

The Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics said the unadjusted unemployment rate in the Washington metro in July was 7.9%, down from 8.3% in June. In July 2019, the metro area’s unemployment rate was 3.3%.

The region’s total civilian labor force in July was down by almost 74,000 jobs when compared to a year ago, but from June to July, the region gained, or regained, 11,296 jobs.

Baltimore’s unemployment rate in July was 7.5%, down from 8.2% in June.

Among metro areas with a population of 1 million or more, Los Angeles had the highest unemployment rate in July, at 16.8%. New York and Las Vegas both had unemployment rates of 16.4%.

Salt Lake City had the lowest big city unemployment rate in July at 5.3%.

Among all metro areas the Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks, El Centro, California, had the highest July unemployment rate at 26.8%. Idaho Falls, Idaho, had the lowest, at 2.7%.