Author Topic: Best and Worst U.S. Cities For Finding a Job This Spring  (Read 4109 times)

Offline David In Indy

  • BetterMost Supporter!
  • BetterMost Moderator
  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 18,447
  • You've Got Male
Best and Worst U.S. Cities For Finding a Job This Spring
« on: March 23, 2009, 04:37:50 pm »
A quarterly survey reveals the cities expecting the largest employment growth -- and losses -- across the country.


According to Forbes:


Best U.S. Cities

Yakima, Wash.
Net employment outlook: +21%

Yakima is known for its abundance of apple varieties, and last year's harvest boosted employment. Packing and juice companies that revolve around the apple orchards helped carry that employment through the winter, something that wouldn't happen in a more ordinary year.


Kennewick, Wash.
Net employment outlook: +19%

Once home to the nation's most Ph.D.'s per capita, Kennewick has an impressive number of engineers and scientists. Pacific Northwest National Lab employs many of them to convert agricultural materials into plastics and biofuels and perform research involving fuel cells.


Anchorage, Alaska
Net employment outlook: +18%

A high-growth area in Anchorage this year is health care, which has added nearly 2,700 jobs since 2003 and employs close to 15,000 people. Retail is also booming.


Amarillo, Texas
Net employment outlook: +15%

Pantex is one of Amarillo's largest employers, with more than 3,000 workers refurbishing nuclear warheads--the only place in the world where it's done. Beyond that, medical services and food processing are big.


Sioux Falls, S.D.
Net employment outlook: +14%

Despite recent economic news, financial services are flourishing in Sioux Falls. Citigroup built its headquarters there, and Wells Fargo, HSBC and Premier Bankcard employ close to 3,000 people.

http://jobs.aol.com/articles/photos/where-jobs-are-2009/1436639/



Worst U.S. Cities

Cape Coral--Ft. Myers, Fla.
Net employment outlook: -16%

The entire state of Florida has taken a hit from the crumbling of its construction and real estate industries. Florida and Arizona were among the first states struck by the housing slump, and they have yet to recover. The state's hospitality industry has also been hit hard since fewer people are taking vacations.


San Juan, Puerto Rico
Net employment outlook: -16%

Manufacturing has taken a beating here. Not too long ago Puerto Rico was considered an emerging market for manufacturing since the cost of doing business was inexpensive. Large companies built plants because it was cheaper than in the States. Now Vietnam and the Dominican Republic are cheaper, and manufactures are sending their business there.


Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Net employment outlook: -14%

Like so many areas in Florida, Port St. Lucie was hit by the one-two punch of drops in both the hospitality industry and construction.


Miami--Fort Lauderdale--Pompano Beach, Fla.
Net employment outlook: -14%

In addition to leisure, hospitality and construction, professional and financial services in this stretch of southeastern Florida have also suffered.


Santa Barbara--Santa Maria--Goleta, Calif.
Net employment outlook: -11%

There has been a significant decline in construction in this part of the country. What's more, there has been a reduction in financial activities, which in these parts means mortgage brokers. While many homeowners elsewhere have been refinancing their mortgages to get lower interest rates, homeowners here haven't, probably because so many owe more than their homes are worth and are in foreclosure. Another weak area is durable-goods manufacturing, which was a core industry here and has taken a hit too.


Naples--Marco Island, Fla.
Net employment outlook: -11%

This area on the west coast of Florida thrives on high-end travel and leisure. The industry has taken a dive since the economy started its downward spiral. Like the rest of the state, it's also suffering from a weak real estate market and slowed construction.


Los Angeles--Long Beach--Santa Ana, Calif.
Net employment outlook: -11%

Los Angeles is taking a major hit in tourism, and the entertainment industry has had to cut back like so many others.


Charleston, S.C.
Net employment outlook: -11%

Auto manufacturing used to be a dominant industry in this part of the country, but it has been cut back significantly.


Tallahassee, Fla.
Net employment outlook: -10%

In addition to the slow real estate and construction markets, Tallahassee is hurting from a decline in manufacturing.


Hickory--Lenior--Morganton, N.C.
Net employment outlook: -10%

Like so much of the south, this part of North Carolina relies heavily on manufacturing. Now that heavy manufacturing has slowed tremendously, job prospects are extremely weak. Hickory specializes in furniture making. That industry has held steady, but it hasn't been growing--or adding new jobs.

http://www.forbes.com/2009/03/09/cities-jobs-spring-leadership-careers-worst_slide_2.html?partner=careersaol












Dogs have owners. Cats have staff.

Offline Mandy21

  • BetterMost 1000+ Posts Club
  • ******
  • Posts: 2,238
Re: Best and Worst U.S. Cities For Finding a Job This Spring
« Reply #1 on: March 23, 2009, 11:24:46 pm »
Odd coincidence that the great majority of the best cities are cold most of the year, and the worst cities are warm most of the year.  Things that make you go Hmmm...

David, you might also want to post this under the BetterMost Can Club thread, if you haven't already.
Dawn is coming,
Open your eyes...

Offline Kerry

  • BetterMost Supporter!
  • Moderator
  • BetterMost 5000+ Posts Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 7,076
  • ^ In pursuit of Captain Moonlite - 5 Sept 2009
    • Google Profile
Re: Best and Worst U.S. Cities For Finding a Job This Spring
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2009, 09:56:42 am »
Odd coincidence that the great majority of the best cities are cold most of the year, and the worst cities are warm most of the year.  Things that make you go Hmmm...

David, you might also want to post this under the BetterMost Can Club thread, if you haven't already.

What's the BetterMost Can Club?   ???
γνῶθι σεαυτόν

Offline Sheriff Roland

  • BetterMost Supporter
  • BetterMost Moderator
  • BetterMost 5000+ Posts Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 8,492
Re: Best and Worst U.S. Cities For Finding a Job This Spring
« Reply #3 on: March 25, 2009, 10:36:40 am »
What's the BetterMost Can Club?   ???

The Can club:

http://bettermost.net/forum/index.php/topic,32133.0.html

for BetterMostians who have recently been canned (lost their job, become unemployed - because of the 'difficult times').
2015 - Toronto: Pan Am Games
2015 - Edmonton, Montréal, Ottawa, Vancouver, Winnipeg: Woman's World Cup of Soccer

Offline Kd5000

  • BetterMost Supporter!
  • Brokeback Got Me Good
  • *****
  • Posts: 910
Re: Best and Worst U.S. Cities For Finding a Job This Spring
« Reply #4 on: March 25, 2009, 11:06:35 am »
Odd coincidence that the great majority of the best cities are cold most of the year, and the worst cities are warm most of the year.  Things that make you go Hmmm...

David, you might also want to post this under the BetterMost Can Club thread, if you haven't already.

Perhaps it hard to get ppl to relocate to some of those cities which are ranked as some of the best places to find a job in the spring. Florida is usually an easy sale.  CA, not as easy as it used to because housing and renting is still above the national average.

Offline David In Indy

  • BetterMost Supporter!
  • BetterMost Moderator
  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 18,447
  • You've Got Male
Re: Best and Worst U.S. Cities For Finding a Job This Spring
« Reply #5 on: March 29, 2009, 02:24:33 am »
Odd coincidence that the great majority of the best cities are cold most of the year, and the worst cities are warm most of the year.  Things that make you go Hmmm...

David, you might also want to post this under the BetterMost Can Club thread, if you haven't already.

Thanks Mandy! Rather than duplicate the thread, I will post a link in the Can Club. :)

Dogs have owners. Cats have staff.

Offline Ellemeno

  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • ********
  • Posts: 15,367
Re: Best and Worst U.S. Cities For Finding a Job This Spring
« Reply #6 on: April 01, 2009, 01:23:56 am »
Those first two, Yakima and Kennewick, Washington, no offense to them, but I wouldn't want to live there, very little going on.  I think they must be low-paying, uncreative, hard jobs.  And Amarillo, refurbishing nuclear warheads?  Um, no thank you.



Offline Jeff Wrangler

  • BetterMost Supporter!
  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 31,165
  • "He somebody you cowboy'd with?"
Re: Best and Worst U.S. Cities For Finding a Job This Spring
« Reply #7 on: April 02, 2009, 02:46:38 pm »
How about Anchorage? While the proximity to Sarah Palin may be viewed as a drawback, I hear they have a lot of lonely bachelors in Alaska. ...
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.