The Hartford area in Connecticut posted the lowest jobless rate among all large US metros in October at 2.4%, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.

Conversely, the Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise area of Nevada posted the highest rate in October among large metros with populations of 1 million or more at 5.8%.

Among metropolitan areas of all sizes, the Sioux Falls metro area in South Dakota recorded the lowest unemployment rate at 1.5%. Rapid City, South Dakota, and Burlington-South Burlington, Vermont, followed at 1.6% and 1.7%, respectively.

Meanwhile, California’s El Centro area logged the highest unemployment rate among metro areas of all sizes in October at 19.6%.

The BLS also noted that unemployment rates were higher in October than a year earlier in 272 of the 389 metropolitan areas, lower in 98 areas and unchanged in 19.

A total of 80 areas had below 3.0% jobless rates, while five areas had rates of at least 8.0%.  The national unemployment rate in October was 3.9%, up from 3.6% a year earlier.