This year is expected to be a strong one for hiring, with 27 percent of employers planning to expand their payrolls, according to the National Association for Business Economics.
There’s also an 8 percent increase projected in the number of recent college graduates who land jobs, according to the National Association for Colleges and Employers.
WalletHub has analyzed employment opportunities in the 60 largest U.S. cities “in order to give people a sense of where on the map the strongest job markets and greatest prospects for long-term financial security can be found,” says the personal-finance social media site.
Here are WalletHub’s comments on the top five (at bottom are the complete charts):
1. Fort Worth, TX
The leader of the Long Star State’s impressive pack of bountiful job markets, Fort Worth boasts the nation’s 5th fastest-falling unemployment rate, the 4th largest proportion of full-time employees, and the 2nd most affordable housing. Such dynamics, combined with the lack of either a state or local income tax for which Texas is renowned, are enough to make up for middle-of-the pack rankings when it comes to industry variety, health care coverage and the percentage of the workforce living below the poverty line.
Fort Worth’s largest industry sectors are: 1) Retail Trade; 2) Professional, Scientific & Technical Services; and 3) Health Care.
2. Washington, DC
The Nation Capital’s high ranking among the Best Cities for Job Seekers is sure to irk those who feel the federal government has become far too large (did someone say Texas!). D.C. ranks 7th nationally in terms of annual labor force growth, 6th for job openings per capita, 4th in terms of both health care coverage and percentage of the workforce below the poverty line, 3rd for percentage of the work force employed full time and 2nd when it comes to median starting salary
However, Washington is about much more than politics and government jobs. The area also has a major presence in the banking, professional services, and tourism and hospitality industries. In fact, Washington actually boasts the 3rd most industry variety in the country, making it a land of promise for job seekers regardless of chosen field.
3. Tampa, FL
Like other major tourism destinations, Tampa was hit hard during the Great Recession, shedding 140,700 jobs at the downturn’s nadir and seeing real estate prices drop nearly 20%. The area’s economy is nearly back to its pre-recession size, however, and only 11 major U.S. cities have fewer employees per capita living below the poverty line. Tampa’s workforce is also the 8th best paid, when cost of living is taken into account, and also benefits from the 9th most diverse industrial mix.
4. Arlington, TX
The Texas Rangers, who call Arlington’s Global Life Stadium home, aren’t the only group that’s been hot in recent years. The city’s workforce has been heating up as well, and it now boasts the 2nd most job openings per capita in the country. The country’s 4th most affordable housing market and nonexistent tax burden also help make top-tier starting salaries go as far as possible in Arlington. Such dynamics seem to foretell significant job seeker interest in the area, at least among those who can tolerate average summer temperatures of 96°F.
5. Dallas, TX
It’s not often that Dallas – where bigger is better with everything from the headwear to the football stadium – ranks third in the pantheon of anything, let along the hierarchy of cities within its own state. But Dallas’ employment landscape is the envy of all but four major cities in the U.S., and considering the economic rollercoaster that the past few years have taken us on, that’s certainly something to be proud of.
Dallas companies pay the country’s 7th highest starting salaries, are the second most reliant on full-time employees, and can use the nation’s 9th most affordable housing market as a major selling point to attract top talent.
Best Overall Cities for Job Seekers
1.
Fort Worth, TX
11.
Raleigh, NC
21.
Tulsa, OK
2.
Washington, DC
12.
Corpus Christi, TX
22.
Omaha, NE
3.
Tampa, FL
13.
Aurora, CO
23.
San Antonio, TX
4.
Arlington, TX
14.
Phoenix, AZ
24.
Santa Ana, CA
5.
Dallas, TX
15.
San Jose, CA
25.
Nashville, TN
6.
Austin, TX
16.
San Francisco, CA
26.
Columbus, OH
7.
Seattle, WA
17.
Las Vegas, NV
27.
Boston, MA
8.
Denver, CO
18.
Charlotte, SC
28.
Wichita, KS
9.
Mesa, AZ
19.
Minneapolis, MN
29.
New Orleans, LA
10.
Houston, TX
20.
Kansas City, MO
30.
Miami, FL
Fastest-Growing Workforce
Highest Median Starting Salary
1.
Bakersfield, CA
1.
San Jose, CA ($57,108)
2.
New Orleans, LA
2.
Washington, DC ($52,344)
3.
Kansas City, MO
3.
San Francisco, CA ($49,272)
4.
Santa Ana, CA
4.
New York, NY ($48,312)
5.
Fresno, CA
5.
Seattle, WA ($39,804)