I know a lot of people in a lot of other cities would claim otherwise, but I’ve always considered Boston the greatest city in the world—except when it comes to driving (which is something I refuse to do whenever possible). [related]
But imagine my delight—and, frankly, surprises–when I learned that Providence, R.I., the “big” city to which I live closest, is also on ZipRecruiter’s list of the hottest job markets for 2020.
Here’s the complete list, including one I certainly didn’t expect at the top of the rankings:
Top 10 hottest job markets in 2020
1. Fargo (North Dakota)
2. Boston-Cambridge-Quincy (Massachusetts)
3. Sioux Falls (South Dakota)
4. Providence-New Bedford-Fall River (Rhode Island-Massachusetts)
5. Portland-South Portland-Biddeford (Maine)
6. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont (California)
7. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria (District of Columbia-Virginia-Maryland-West Virginia)
8. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington (Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Delaware-Maryland)
9. Bismarck (North Dakota)
10. New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island (New York-New Jersey-Pennsylvania)
Inside the Hottest Job Markets
North Dakota holds down two spots in the top 10 (and South Dakota makes it a trifecta), but New England is also well-represented with another three of the 10.
It’s no surprise to see New York City, Philadelphia, D.C. and San Francisco rounding out the rankings, but the order of this list will probably raise your eyebrows too.
“Not surprisingly, New York and Los Angeles have the largest job markets where job seekers have the best chance of landing a new position. At any one time, there are more than 200,000 job openings in either city,” according to the CNBC report.
“Alternatively, in smaller cities such as Yuma, Ariz., or Elizabethtown, Ky., the offerings are far more limited, with only around 2,000 openings at any one time,” the report says.
Most economic experts expect another solid year in 2020, so it could be a good time to explore either a career change or a new city in which to continue—or perhaps begin—your career.
This doesn’t mean those 10 cities are the only ones where you can find gainful employment, but they might be good starting points to begin your search. As an added bonus, if you land something in Boston or Providence, you’ll also be in the mecca of sports dominance.
