If finding a new job was on top of your resolution list for 2024, you’re going to want to pay attention to these findings from personal-finance site WalletHub. The team just released its Best Places to Find a Job in 2024 report—we’re happy to say that some Western cities made the top 10! Most importantly, Scottsdale, Arizona, was crowned the best place to find a job.

To determine the list, WalletHub compared more than 180 cities in the U.S. across 31 key metrics like job opportunities, employment growth, unemployment rate, median annual income, and housing affordability. The team also noted that the job market remained strong in 2023 and the unemployment rate is back to pre-pandemic levels. Additionally, some companies have been experiencing labor shortages, so job seekers do have some leverage with compensation and benefits currently.

So, how did Scottsdale end up at the top? WalletHub says it has the highest job growth in the nation at nearly 12%. It also ranks first with internship opportunities, which is great news for college students. And to add to this exciting stats, Scottsdale also has the fifth-highest median annual income in the country, when adjusted for cost of living.

Other Western cities that made the top 10 include Salt Lake City and Seattle. Salt Lake City has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country at just 3%. And WalletHub states that it ranks first when it comes to net employment outlook, “which measures the quarterly percentage of employers who expect to add employees minus the percentage who expect to have fewer of them.” Another bonus of the job market in Salt Lake City is that employers are not allowed to ask about candidates’ previous salaries.

Some Western cities didn’t make the top 10, but they did have some notable stats. For example, San Jose, California, has the highest monthly average starting salary; Fremont, California, has the fewest part-time employees for every 100 full-time employees; and Pearl City, Hawaii has the lowest share of workers living in poverty.

But it’s not all roses for Western cities in this report. Some made the “worst cities” list: Bakersfield, California; Stockton, California; and San Bernardino, California. 

Take a look at the “best” and “worst” lists below.

Best Cities for Jobs

  • Scottsdale, Arizona

  • Tampa, Florida

  • Salt Lake City, Utah

  • Columbia, Maryland

  • Austin, Texas

  • Atlanta, Georgia

  • Seattle, Washington

  • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Plano, Texas

  • Boston, Massachusetts

Worst Cities for Jobs

  • Bridgeport, Connecticut

  • Columbus, Georgia

  • Memphis, Tennessee

  • Bakersfield, California

  • Stockton, California

  • Augusta, Georgia

  • San Bernardino, California

  • Gulfport, Mississippi

  • Las Cruces, New Mexico

  • Newark, New Jersey

This story was originally published on Sunset.com. You can read it here.

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