For those of us who graduated in the wake of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, it has been tough finding good work, but the job market for young people dramatically began to improve starting around Barack Obama’s second term.
Source: tradingeconomics.com
The overall unemployment rate currently sits at 4.5% and the youth unemployment rate for college graduates is nearly half that at 2.5%. This has lead to a rise in optimism in the youth job market on all fronts, but especially amongst recent graduates. This is borne out in ZipRecruiter’s data that they shared with Paste. According to ZipRecruiter’s query of their database of over 7 million active jobs, 78.9% of new grads are optimistic that they will find a job, and it is likely due at least in part, to the success of the cities below.
38.8% of new graduates said that they were willing to move anywhere for a new job, and if you are part of that group or considering being a part of it, here are the 20 best places to move, and the industries that are thriving in these areas.
Best industry: Technology
Top job: Software Engineer
Median rent: $1600
Best industry: Business
Top job: Account Manager
Median rent: $850
Best industry: Technology
Top job: Project Manager
Median rent: $1950
Best industry: Health Care
Top job: Registered Nurse
Median rent: $2650
Best industry: Technology
Top job: Project Manager
Median rent: $995
Best industry: Technology
Top job: Project Manager
Median rent: $1495
Best industry: Business
Top job: Administrative Assistant
Median rent: $2637
Best industry: Technology
Top job: Project Manager
Median rent: $4325
Best industry: Finance and Insurance
Top job: Financial Analyst
Median rent: $1695
Best industry: Health Care
Top job: Registered Nurse
Median rent: $1387
Best industry: Technology
Top job: Project Manager
Median rent: $1350
Best industry: Technology
Top job: Software Engineer
Median rent: $2750
Best industry: Finance and Insurance
Top job: Staff Accountant
Median rent: $1300
Best industry: Business
Top job: Account Manager
Median rent: $2000
Best industry: Technology
Top job: Project Manager
Median rent: $1895
Best industry: Business
Top job: Jr. Account Manager
Median rent: $995
Best industry: Technology
Top job: Software Engineer
Median rent: $3100
Best industry: Finance and Insurance
Top job: Staff Accountant
Median rent: $1695
Best industry: Technology
Top job: Project Manager
Median rent: $1500
Best industry: Technology
Top job: Project Manager
Median rent: $3295
Jacob Weindling is Paste’s business and media editor, as well as a staff writer for politics. Follow him on Twitter at @Jakeweindling.