Need a Job? Move Here

Need a job? According to the BLS data out this month (as of July), several metropolitan areas in the country have an unemployment rate of less than 5% and getting better. Bismarck, ND, started the year with 3.8% unemployment, and as of July, is at 2.5%. However, their labor force is less than 65,000 people, and not ever having been there, I don't know how many workers they could absorb. On the other hand, Oklahoma city has an unemployment rate of 4.8%, down from 5.9% in January, with a labor force of over half a million--surely they could absorb you if you headed out west. Here is a list of the recent data, my pick for the top 10 cities where you might be most likely to find a job--I haven't factored in cost of living, average wages, or the type of jobs that might be available, so caveat emptor.

Metropolitan	Jan-Mar Unemployment	Apr-Jun Unemployment	July Unemployment	Labor Force Employed
Bismarck, ND	3.7	2.7	2.5	62,597
Fargo, ND	4.2	3.3	3.3	117,788
Sioux Falls, SD	4.7	3.9	4.0	126,914
Rapid City, SD	4.9	4.3	4.3	66,573
Billings, MT	5.1	4.7	4.6	84,983
Dubuque, IA	5.8	4.5	4.6	51,893
Oklahoma City, OK	5.4	4.5	4.8	564,666
Des Moines, IA	5.9	5.1	5.1	300,821
Tulsa, OK	6.4	5.3	5.4	419,866
Barnstable Town, MA	9.1	6.0	5.6	141,342