Iowa City Has Nation's Lowest Unemployment for March

Iowa City at 3.6%; Ames at 3.7%

In March, 109 metropolitan areas reported jobless rates of at least 10.0 percent, up from 14 areas a year earlier, while 95 areas posted rates below 7.0 percent, down from 329 areas in March 2008.

El Centro, Calif., recorded the highest unemployment rate, 25.1 percent.  The areas with the next highest rates were Merced, Calif., 20.4 percent; Yuba City, Calif., 19.5 percent; and Elkhart- Goshen, Ind., 18.8 percent.  Among the 18 areas with jobless rates of at least 15.0 percent, 12 were located in California.

Houma- Bayou  Cane-Thibodaux, La., and Iowa City, Iowa, registered the lowest jobless rates, 3.6 percent each in March, followed closely by Ames, Iowa, at 3.7 percent.  Overall, 158 areas posted unemployment rates above the U.S. figure of 9.0 percent, 209 areas reported rates below it, and 5 areas had the same rate.