The unemployment rate in Ames, Iowa, home to Iowa State University, rose to 5.8% from 4.8%, the sixth-largest rise. Grand Forks, N.D.; Fargo, N.D.; Champaign-Urbana, Ill.; Columbia, Mo.; and College Station-Bryan, Texas, all have major universities and all were among the areas with the 10 largest increases in unemployment.

Among cities with more than 1 million residents, Las Vegas reported the highest jobless rate, at 14.5%. That was up from 14.1% in May.

The Washington metro area, bolstered by widespread federal government hiring, reported the lowest unemployment rate among large metro areas, with 6.4%. It was followed by Oklahoma City, Okla., which has benefited from the oil and gas industry, at 6.7%.

El Centro, Calif. and Yuma, Ariz. posted the highest unemployment rates in the country, 27.6% and 26.4% respectively. The two areas have large populations of seasonal agricultural workers.

Twelve areas recorded unemployment rates of 15% or higher, the government said, with 10 of them in California.

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