The Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, Colo., area had the lowest unemployment rate in January, at 3.0%, among US metropolitan areas with populations of 1 million or more, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.

The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, Ill.-Ind.-Wis., metropolitan area posted the highest jobless rate among large metro areas at 6.7% in January.

Among metropolitan areas of all sizes, Ames, Iowa, and Boulder, Colo., had the lowest unemployment rates in January at 2.5% each. El Centro, Calif., had the highest unemployment rate at 19.2%.