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Salt Lake City, Utah, ranks 21st with an unemployment rate of 3.5 percent.

Job seekers with no ties to any particular location often seek jobs in big cities like New York, Chicago, Illinois, Los Angeles, California, or San Francisco, California.

But are these the places where they're most likely to find a job?

Not according to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Job seekers are better off looking in such cities as Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Idaho Falls, Idaho; and Rapid City, South Dakota. All of these cities registered some of the lowest unemployment rates in September 2008.

Low unemployment rates seem harder to come by in today's economy. Unemployment rates were higher in 349 of the 369 U.S. metropolitan areas surveyed, which means 92 percent of cities have seen an increase in their unemployment rates

Only 25 areas reported lower rates, while six areas had no change. The national unemployment rate in September, 6 percent, was up 1.5 percent from 4.5 in September 2007

Ten cities recorded jobless rates of at least 10 percent and nine areas registered rates below 3 percent. Eighty-four metropolitan areas posted unemployment rates of at least 7 percent, up from only 17 areas the year before.

Only 46 cities had jobless rates below 4 percent, down from 133 areas at the same time last year. In total, Among the 310 metropolitan areas for which nonfarm payroll data were available in September 2008, 140 areas reported over-the-year employment gains, 164 reported losses, and 6 had no change.iReport.com: Looking for a job? Share your story

Despite these startling figures, several cities have low unemployment rates. Here are 30 cities (and their Metropolitan Statistical Areas) with the lowest unemployment rates, according to the September 2008 numbers released by the BLS.*

1. Bismarck, North Dakota

Unemployment rate 2.5

2. Casper, Wyoming

Unemployment rate 2.5

3. Logan, Utah

Unemployment rate 2.5

4. Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Unemployment rate 2.5

5. Morgantown, West Virginia

Unemployment rate 2.6

6. Ames, Iowa

Unemployment rate 2.7

7. Fargo, North Dakota

Unemployment rate 2.8

8. Iowa City, Iowa

Unemployment rate 2.8

9. Rapid City, South Dakota

Unemployment rate 2.9

10. Lincoln, Nebraska

Unemployment rate 3.0

11. Provo-Orem, Utah

Unemployment rate 3.0

12. Billings, Montana

Unemployment rate 3.1

13. Charleston, West Virginia

Unemployment rate

14. Midland, Texas

Unemployment rate 3.2

15. Salt Lake City, Utah

Unemployment rate 3.2

16. Idaho Falls, Idaho

Unemployment rate 3.3

17. Lafayette, Louisiana

Unemployment rate 3.3

18. Santa Fe, New Mexico

Unemployment rate 3.3

19. Charlottesville, Virginia

Unemployment rate 3.4

20. Farmington, New Mexico

Unemployment rate 3.4

21. Grand Forks, North Dakota

Unemployment rate 3.4

22. Lawton, Oklahoma

Unemployment rate 3.4

23. Madison, Wisconsin

Unemployment rate 3.4

24. Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, Arkansas-Missouri

Unemployment rate 3.5

25. Harrisonburg, Virginia

Unemployment rate 3.5

26. Ogden-Clearfield, Utah

Unemployment rate 3.5

27. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Unemployment rate 3.5

28. Omaha-Council Bluffs, Nebraska-Iowa

Unemployment rate 3.5

29. Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Unemployment rate 3.5

30. Sioux City, Iowa

Unemployment rate 3.5

*Based on preliminary September numbers accessed October 31, 2008.

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