94 of the largest cities in the United States were analyzed to find the best and worst places for job seekers in Q2-2024. From 2020 to 2024, we looked at each community’s growth in employment, growth in hourly wages, current unemployment rate, current labor force size and average monthly wage over monthly rent ratio to determine our rankings. The most important factors — including three-year and one-year employment growth and growth in hourly wages — were double-weighted (22%), while the other factors each contributed 11%.
Best Cities for Job Growth:
1. Charleston, SC (7.5%)
2. Grand Rapids, MI (5.1%)
3. Jacksonville, FL (4.6%)
4. Las Vegas, NV (4.3%)
5. Richmond, VA (4.3%)
Worst Cities for Job Growth:
1. Riverside, CA (-1.8%)
2. San Jose, CA (-1.5%)
3. Stockton, CA (-1.3%)
4. Bakersfield, CA (-1.3%)
5. San Francisco, CA (-1.2%)