Where The Jobs Are: U.S. Cities With Good Prospects

Posted on Dec 2nd 2009, 04:02 pm, under Career Advice

The economic situation still isn't that great, according to the Economic Policy Institute, but it's been steadily improving within the last few months. As of September, there were around 6.1 applicants for every available job, on average. Fortunately, the increase in the unemployment rate has been slowing somewhat, as the economy starts to turn itself around.

Of course, the picture isn't the same across the whole country. Some cities have better employment prospects than others, due to a variety of factors. If you've been wondering about the best cities for getting a job, Indeed.com compiled a list comparing 50 of the most populous areas in the country and their job-to-worker ratio as of September 2009.

Washington, D.C. sits at the top of the list, with a job-to-worker ratio of 1:1. It's followed by Baltimore, also with a 1:1 ratio. Meanwhile, Salt Lake City, San Jose, Boston, and New York all have good ratios of 1:2. The rest of the top ten is rounded out by four cities with a 1:3 ratio -- Hartford, Oklahoma City, Seattle, and Denver.

At the other end of the spectrum, the top 5 worst cities for finding a job are the following: Rochester, NY (1:7), Las Vegas (1:8), Riverside, CA (1:9), Miami (1:12), and Detroit (1:18).

Washington, D.C. has benefited from the large number of government jobs, as well as the numerous openings in its non-profit organizations, law firms, defense contractors, and professional associations, and education sector. The government is the city's largest employer, but schools ranked surprisingly in third place.

Boston, on the other hand, is noteworthy for the jobs created by its hospitals, universities, and research institutions. In addition, because of its highly-trained and educated workforce, a growing number of software and biotechnology firms have chosen to establish themselves in the area. Finally, Boston was able to avoid the worst of the subprime financial crisis in part due to the presence of numerous hedge funds, deposit banks, and trust services.

Being in a location with great employment prospects can really help your chances of finding a job. Of course, finding opportunities is only part of the equation. But if you're considering relocating to a new city to find employment, it pays to be prepared; see our article on that topic to know more.