Job searching isn’t easy, but it can be a whole lot better if the city you’re looking in has a lot of opportunities to offer.
ZipRecruiter, an online job board that also enables recruiters to track and evaluate candidates, put together a list of the top 10 job markets for 2016 by “ranking cities by applicants to employer ratio, applications to job posting ratio, and Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment scores.”
Each of these markets has an unemployment rate of 5% or less. What’s the main driver behind all of these opportunities? A need for more people to work in the healthcare, insurance, and service sector industries. And another plus? These areas are experiencing low job competition.
Below, we’ve listed several job openings in these areas, from the Pacific Northwest to the Midwest to upstate New York. And you can apply to them right here on The Muse!
Madison, WI
Not only does Madison have a very low unemployment rate of 2.9%, but the growing tech industry has created plenty of opportunities for seasoned workers and entry-level employees alike. Plus, it’s a pretty cool place to live, with over five lakes, 260 parks, 56 craft breweries, and, of course, The World’s Largest Brat Fest (yum).
- Executive Assistant to the CEO at Understory Weather
- Front End Engineer at Spredfast
- Senior Software Engineer at Trustwave
- Big Data Senior Software Architect at Networked Insights
- Real Estate Agent at Redfin
Minneapolis, MN
Smack dab in the upper half of the United States, Minneapolis and its twin city (St. Paul) serve as the base of operations for multiple international companies. Though medical device production is the main driver behind the economy in Minneapolis, this city also “offers opportunities in a wide variety of industries including insurance, finance, education, graphic design, and high-tech.” Bikes are thriving here, too. Minneapolis is number one on the list of bike-friendly cities in America, with 10,000 cyclists using the bike lanes each day!
- Implementation Specialist at When I Work
- Java/JVM Senior Engineer at The Nerdery
- Copywriter, Content Creator at JAMF Software
- Engineering Manager at Target
- Area Specification & Public Agency Account Manager at Rain Bird
Omaha, NE
This is Omaha’s second consecutive year on ZipRecruiter’s list of best job markets. With an unemployment rate of 2.9% and bustling job markets in customer service, insurance, hospitality, IT, and healthcare, there are opportunities for all types of jobs and people. Not to mention, Omaha has the country’s largest indoor rainforest and is the birthplace of the TV Dinner (which is a great claim to fame!)
- .NET Developer Team Lead at Client Resources, Inc.
- District Sales Manager at Bai Brands
- Inside Sales Marketing Consultant at Dex Media
- Project Manager, Design Systems at Hudl
Pittsburgh, PA
Pittsburgh, also known as “The City of Bridges,” not only made the list of best places to find a job in 2016, but it also made the list of top cities to find jobs specifically in healthcare, startups, and art or media. Plus, Pittsburgh is where both the Arnold Palmer and the emoticon originated. With an unemployment rate of 4.6%, we imagine there are a lot of smiley face emojis circling around this town.
- Software Test Engineer at Trustwave
- Outside Sales Marketing Representative at Dex Media
- Reporting Insight Services Analyst at Broadridge
Portland, OR
Sometimes referred to as “Silicon Forest,” Portland is known for making technology hardware with a focus on products that are clean and renewable. Furthermore, “access to interstates, international air terminals, and marine shipping, as well as a generally high quality of life have drawn a variety of ventures to Portland and helped to diversify its economy.” Diversity isn't new to this city, though. Portland had the first female police office and the first female mayor. And you can participate in the World Naked Bike Ride or get married at Voodoo Doughnuts here.
- Senior Service Reliability Engineer at Urban Airship
- Customer Operations Team Lead at Squarespace
- Pension Actuary at M Financial Group
- Senior Quality Engineering Manager at Jive
- Associate Director, Planning at Huge
Rochester, NY
The healthcare and biotechnology industries are booming in Rochester. This, in turn, has positively impacted other areas as well, as the increase of employees in these two areas has created the need for more housing and other services. Rochester is also home to the marshmallow and the graham cracker (hello, s’mores!) as well as gold teeth (probably needed due to all the s’mores consumption).
- Regional Logistics Director at Pactiv
- Inside Sales Marketing Consultant at Dex Media
- Technician III at Pactiv
Don’t see anything you like? These are just handful of the hundreds of postings we have right now. Check out all the other job opportunities on The Muse—good luck with your search!