If you’re having a hard time finding a job, it may be worth it to move to one of the best cities in the US for job seekers.
New data from the federal government shows the places with the highest rate of job growth over the past year.
Although the facts from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics takes into account the nation’s largest cities; many of the places with the fastest job growth are smaller cities in the Midwest.
Topping the list is Rochester, Minnesota, where the number of employees increased by 5.9 percent between August 2023 and August 2024.
This boosted the number of non-farm jobs in the city by 7,400, from 125,500 to 132,900, the data shows.
Nonfarm workers exclude agricultural workers, workers in private households, and nonprofit organizations that actively serve the military.
New data from the federal government shows the places with the highest rate of job growth over the past year
Rochester, which is located 85 miles southeast of the Twin Cities, has already seen population growth recently.
But tens of thousands of new residents are also expected to move to the city over the next twenty years. The Minnesota Star Tribune reported.
This is in part due to massive projects like the ongoing $5 billion expansion of the award-winning Mayo Clinic medical center, which should bring even more jobs to the area.
The mainland US city with the second fastest job growth is Pocatello, Idaho.
According to Labor Department data, two cities in Puerto Rico – San German and Arecibo – saw higher job growth of 5.8 percent and 5 percent, respectively, over the year.
Pocatello, located below the Bannock Range mountains and home to Idaho State University, saw a 4.7 percent increase in the number of nonfarm workers.
Idaho has experienced high job and wage growth over the past five years, with a growing high-tech sector. Business insider reported.
Third and fourth on the list are Champaign-Urbana, Illinois and St. George, Utah, both of which also saw 4.7 percent job growth over the year.
Champaign added 5,400 jobs, bringing the total to 40,400 in August of this year, while St. George added 3,900 jobs, bringing the total to 87,500.
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The mainland US city with the second fastest job growth is Pocatello, Idaho
Fifth on the list is Madera, California, where the number of jobs increased by 4.6 percent
Champaign added 5,400 jobs, bringing the total to 40,400 in August this year, while St. George (pictured) added 3,900 jobs, bringing the total to 87,500
Champaign, home to the University of Illinois, has also seen a particular increase in tourism this year.
Jayne DeLuce, president and CEO of Experience Champaign-Urbana, shared WCIA how travel to the area increased significantly following the pandemic and has continued.
Jesse Hines, general manager of the Hilton Garden Inn, told the outlet that tourism used to depend on the University of Illinois schedule.
“So when there was school in town we were busy, but in the summer and winter we were slow,” Hines said.
‘And now we’re just always busy. We are busy all year round.’
St. George, meanwhile, is home to Utah Tech University and a growing technology industry.
Fifth on the list is Madera, California, where the number of jobs increased by 4.6 percent.
The city, which is a gateway to the popular Yosemite National Park, saw the number of employees on non-farm payrolls rise from 43,100 the year before to 45,100 in August 2024.
Rounding out the top ten cities for job seekers are Florence, South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, College Station-Bryan, Texas, Charlottesville, Virginia and Stockton-Lodi, California.
It comes as the U.S. economy has far exceeded expectations for job growth over the past month.
Employers added an estimated 254,000 jobs in September, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics
Employers added an estimated 254,000 jobs in September, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The unemployment rate also fell to 4.1 percent, despite forecasts that it would remain stable at 4.2 percent.
Stocks rose after the blockbuster report, which gave Wall Street reassurance that the job market is on solid footing.
The report also revised the job growth numbers for August and July. It added 17,000 jobs to August’s total, bringing it to 159,000, and added 55,000 jobs to July’s total, pushing monthly growth to 144,000.
These upward revisions should ease concerns about the state of the labor market and likely lock the Federal Reserve into a more gradual pace of rate cuts after last month’s massive cut.
Wall Street was shocked by initial employment numbers for July, which were lower than expected, raising fears that the US was heading for a recession.