The latest outlook by the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business found the state’s economy will post strong growth again in 2022, finally surpassing its pre-pandemic number of jobs in the first half of the year.
That could be why WalletHub ranked Atlanta in the top 15% of 2022′s best cities for jobs.
“According to the most recent jobs report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national unemployment rate is 4.2%, far below the high of 14.7% seen during 2020,” WalletHub wrote. “Many companies are now actually facing a labor shortage, which puts people looking for jobs in a position of leverage when it comes to negotiating their compensation and benefits.”
WalletHub compared 182 cities — including the 150 most populated in the United States, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — across two key dimensions: job market and socio-economics. The financial website assigned a heavier weight to the former, considering factors in that category most heavily influence a job seeker’s decision in terms of relocation for employment.
WalletHub then evaluated the two dimensions using 31 relevant metrics, each graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for job seekers.
If you’re willing to move, consider heading to Columbia, Maryland, which finished on top with a score of 68.41. The city was second for job market and first for socio-economics.
Columbia was followed by Salt Lake City; San Francisco; Portland, Maine; and Austin, Texas, in that order.
If relocation isn’t an option, don’t fret. Atlanta ranked No. 27 of the 182 cities, with a score of 59.49. We finished No. 15 for job market, but 97 for socio-economics.
Georgia’s other two cities on the list didn’t fare as well as Atlanta.
Augusta ranked No. 165, with a score of 46.36. It was No. 145 for job market and 179 for socio-economics. Columbus finished three spots below Augusta, at No. 168. Columbus’ score of just 45.82 came from being No. 146 for job growth and 177 for socio-economics.
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