There’s never been a better time to find a great job.
In April 2019, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 263,000 new jobs had been added in that month alone. The impressive number, combined with a healthy 3.6 percent unemployment rate — the lowest unemployment rate since 1969 — means that there’s no denying that we’re firmly in the midst of a talent-driven market. While a candidate-driven market may make the job hunt easier now than it was 10 years ago, finding the perfect new position is still, by no means, easy.
There are a lot of things to consider when looking for a new job, from salary to benefits, to room for growth. But for many job seekers, location remains the top priority. In order to make the search a little easier, and help prospective hires narrow down their location options, WalletHub recently released a list of the best states to live and work in 2019.
Using 33 key indicators of job market strength, opportunity, and a healthy economy, WalletHub ranked the states from best to worst.
They found that the top five states for job seekers are as follows:
- Massachusetts (with a total score of 71.88)
- Washington (with a total score of 68.26)
- Colorado (with a total score of 66.82)
- Vermont (with a total score of 64.73)
- New Hampshire (with a total score of 64.40)
WalletHub’s findings also included data on states with the most job opportunities (New Hampshire and North Dakota lead the pack), highest employment growth, highest monthly average starting salary (Texas and Washington pay the best), lowest unemployment rate, highest median annual income, shortest time spent working and commuting, and highest job satisfaction (Idaho and Montana hold the titles here).
For more insights and a complete breakdown of how WalletHub calculated their scores, click here.
