Are you looking for a new job? It may be useful to know which cities have the most opportunities in the US. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and internet job aggregator Juju.com, U.S. News & World Report has put together a list of the 10 best cities where potential job-seekers might have the most luck. The criteria: these cities offer a combination of low unemployment rates and an abundance of job openings relative to the number of job-seekers.
10 Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford has a relatively high unemployment rate of 8.5% compared to other cities on this list, yet its 2.09 individuals per job advertised makes it an ideal location to find employment. Some of the city’s top employers include United Technologies, an aerospace and technology company headquartered in Hartford, the Hartford Financial Services Group, and the Aetna health insurance company.
Hartford, Connecticut Skyline via J. Stephen Conn
9 New York City, New York
New York also has an 8.5% unemployment rate, but the city that never sleeps has a relatively low 1.81 individuals per advertised job. According to the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the largest industry in the city is health and social assistance with 582,000 employees. Wall Street also employs 312,000 in the financial industry. The city hosts 50 million tourists annually and has 247,000 workers in the food and accommodations sector.
New York City at Dusk via Johannes Valkama
8 Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Healthcare is the top industry in Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s largest city and my hometown. In fact, the area boasts five healthcare companies (which drew my family to America as well), each employing over 3,000 employees. Milwaukee is also the headquarters of Kohl’s department store and the famous motorcycle manufacturer Harley Davidson.
Milwaukee River via Ian Freimuth
7 Baltimore, Maryland
Maryland’s largest city is dominated by health and education. The Baltimore Development Corporation stated that Johns Hopkins University is the largest Baltimore employer, with 22,700 university employees and an additional 15,753 workers at the university’s various locations. The University of Maryland and its medical system are also a significant source of employment with nearly 18,000 employees.
Baltimore harbour via David Davies
6 Austin, Texas
Austin’s healthy job market is boosted by many tech and state jobs. Dell Computers is headquartered in the Texas capital, and giants like IBM and Apple employ thousands of workers locally.
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Austin Skyline (HDR) via Knowsphotos
5 St. Paul, Minnesota
The capital of Minnesota, St. Paul, offers a diverse workforce comprised of 13% in government labor, 12% in manufacturing and about 11% related to healthcare. 3M is a major employer in the area with both its headquarters and some production facilities located here.
St. Paul Skyline via www.manyhighways.com
4 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Government jobs -albeit federal, state or local- are by far and away the largest provider in Oklahoma City. Telecommunications companies like AT&T and Cox Communications are also major players in the area.
Oklahoma City via Josué Goge
3 Boston, Massachusetts
Business is booming in the greater Boston area due to the healthcare and education industries. Boston’s Fortune 500 companies include Liberty Mutual and the headquarters of the office supply store Staples.
Boston skyline via Ian Britton
2 Salt Lake City, Utah
The public sector offers a significant amount of work through the University of Utah, the state of Utah, and the Salt Lake City International Airport. The largest private employer in the area, though, is Intermountain Healthcare with over 180,000 employees, more than 26,000 of them full-time.
Salt Lake City via AFD106
1 Washington, D.C.
The federal government is the largest employer in our nation’s capital, of course, with over 200,000 workers. But the city has a plethora of other job opportunities in the city’s many nonprofit organizations, government contractors, consulting firms, think tanks, and educational institutions. Washington D.C. also has a 6% unemployment rate, which is more than 3% below the national figure and the best rate of all the cities on this list!
Lightning in the clouds over Washington DC via Forest Wander
How are the job prospects in your city? Are you considering a move to one of these locations for greener employment pastures?
Surprising in some ways, Daniel Zeevi. Thanks, as always, for your interesting and useful content!
Thanks Terri, I was also surprised to see Milwaukee and even NYC in some respects.