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The nation's unemployment rate now sits below 5%, but that figure obviously varies across the country. 24/7 WallSt crunched numbers and determined the US cities faring best and worst in terms of employment. Here are the five at the bottom of the scale:

1. El Centro, Calif.: 20.9%, up from 16.5% in 2006
2. Yuma, Ariz.: 18.2%, up from 14.4%
3. Visalia-Porterville, Calif.: 10.9%, up from 8.4%
4. Merced, Calif.: 10%, up from 9.2%
5. Bakersfield, Calif.: 9.8%, up from 7.4%

And the cities with the best unemployment rates:

1. Ames, Iowa: 2.3%, down from 2.6% in 2006
2. Sioux Falls, SD: 2.4%, down from 2.7%
3. Portsmouth, NH-Maine: 2.4%, down from 3.3%
4. Burlington-South Burlington, Vt.: 2.4%, down from 3.4%
5. Boulder, Colo.: 2.4%, down from 3.3%

See the full rankings here. (Read more unemployment stories.)