money The best U.S. cities for jobs in 2020
Job hunters, pack your bags. If you’re looking for a new job, the best prospects may be in Arizona.
Three of the top 10 U.S. cities for employment are in the Grand Canyon State, according to a recent study by WalletHub. Scottsdale tops the list of 182 cities for the second year in a row because of its high median annual income, job security, and access to employee benefits.
Chandler and Tempe also broke into the top ranks, coming in at No. 6 and No. 8, making Arizona a 2020 destination for job seekers.
“Employment growth and the large share of engaged workers are among the other factors that contributed to Scottsdale, Chandler, and Tempe ranking in the top 10," said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub’s analyst. “It's easier to find a job in a city that's currently growing and developing.”
WalletHub rankings were calculated by analyzing 31 metrics like job opportunities, employment growth, starting salaries, and others. It comes at a time when Americans are moving at the lowest rate in more than 70 years.
Best cities for job seekers
Despite low socio-economic rankings in areas such as housing affordability, both San Francisco and Boston have very strong job markets, propelling them to No. 3 and No. 7, respectively. Both are among those with the highest average monthly starting salaries. They also have very low unemployment rates and low automation risk.
Both cities are located in states that have enacted a salary history ban, prohibiting an employer from requesting information about previous pay. This helps break the cycle of unfair low salaries, Gonzalez said.
Rounding out the top 10 are South Burlington, Vermont (No. 2); Austin, Texas (No. 4); Fremont, California (No. 5); Portland, Maine (No. 9); and Boise, Idaho (No. 10), according to the study.
Most difficult places to find a job
If you live in Detroit; Newark, New Jersey; or Fayetteville, North Carolina, moving to another city might give you a better chance of finding a job. These three had the worst rankings in the study.
Detroit is at the bottom of the list at No. 182 with poor showings for full-time employment, availability of apprentice-trainee jobs, and employers' disability friendliness. The Motor City also has a large share of workers in poverty and high annual transportation costs.
Fayetteville (No. 181)lacks employment growth, industry variety, and access to internships, while Newark (No. 180) has a low share of engaged workers and is one of the worst cities for job opportunities.
California is home to some of the best and worst cities for job seekers. While Fremont and San Francisco make the top 10, cities like Fresno (No, 165), San Bernardino (No. 169), and Stockton (No. 179) are among the most difficult places to find a job, the study found.
Fewer people moving across states
Even if job prospects aren’t great where they live, U.S. workers are still reluctant to move. Americans are moving at the lowest rate since 1948 when data was first collected, according to the Census Bureau.
However, when people do move, it’s usually for a job.
Nearly half the people who moved to a different state last year did so because of a new job opportunity or company transfer, according to a recent study from United Van Lines, a moving company.
The states that saw the most inbound moves last year also had many cities rank highly for job seekers in WalletHub’s study. Arizona, for example, had 63.2% of inbound moves, and only 36.8% of outbound ones, in 2019.
The second-most popular reason for moves to the state? A new job.
Denitsa is a writer for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @denitsa_tsekova.
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