Honolulu’s unemployment rate continues to lose ground against other metropolitan areas.

Oahu’s jobless rate improved to 5.6 percent in October from 5.7 percent in September but slipped in a ranking of 372 metropolitan areas to the 39th lowest, according to a report Tuesday from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That was down from 37th lowest in September, 21st lowest in August and 15th lowest in July.

Honolulu compared favorably with the nation as a whole, which had an average rate of 8.5 percent in October. It was one of 281 metro areas where the unemployment rate declined from September. The rates are not seasonally adjusted, meaning they are not modified for variations such as hiring for the winter holidays.

Overall, unemployment rates in 57 metro areas rose from the previous month, while the rate was unchanged in 34 areas.

In October, 74 metro areas had jobless rates of at least 10 percent, including eight of at least 15 percent. The highest rate was El Centro, Calif., at 28.9 percent. The city is heavily reliant on farming and has a large contingent of migrant labor.

The lowest unemployment rate was in Bismarck, N.D., at 2.4 percent. The job market in North Dakota has been helped by a boom in its oil drilling industry.

Honolulu’s October rate compared with rates of 9.3 percent for Hawaii County, 8.5 percent for Kauai County and 7.6 percent for Maui County. The state’s unemployment rate was 6.5 percent. Hawaii’s seasonally adjusted rate for October also was 6.5 percent.

Nationwide the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was unchanged in October at 9 percent, although last week the government reported the U.S. rate fell to 8.6 percent in November, the lowest level in 21/2 years. Employers nationwide added 120,000 jobs, but economists say a big reason the unemployment rate fell was because more people said they have given up on their job searches and dropped out of the work force.