The Best Cities for Finding a Job Right Now

Those cronut burgers aren't going to pay for themselves, but you don't have to labor quite so hard to get those dollar bills. If you've been struggling to find a gig, maybe you need to back up your digs and move somewhere more up your financial alley. You know, a place that actually has the job you need.

Finding a job isn't just about weighing unemployment rates (though, that's part of it). These 15 Awesome Cities For Find A Job Right Now all have an eclectic range of things going for them. Some are simply commerce-oriented in all the right ways; some have a better cost of living combined with a low unemployment rate which makes a low salary manageable. And some are beacons of culture and cash that seem obvious because they are (and likely always will be) an amazing place to find a job. Peruse, debate, and get to packing.

RELATED: Anti-Hipster Cities You Should Move To
RELATED: The 15 Most Ratchet Cities in the U.S.
RELATED: The 15 Best Cities in the U.S. for Rap Fans Right Now
RELATED: The 15 Most Underrated Cities in the U.S.

Unemployment rate: 6.10%

Don’t mess with Texas. When it comes to job growth and potential, Texas’ biggest cities—Houston, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio—bring tons of bang for your hard-earned buck in each of these cities. But out of them all, Houston is the most well-rounded with clubs for the kids, conservative suburban sprawl for the grown-ups, and what is being considered one of the fastest growing American cities where both businesses are relocating and people are able to live comfortably.

Unemployment rate: 7.20%

Part of the crush of Silicon Valley geeks turned gazillionaires in the 1980s, the economy in San Jose was popping. While there was a lull in the middle there, San Jose is still considered one of the best places for tech-inspired college graduates to flock to if they want to work at one of their favorite buzzword companies. Young professionals are treated like golden gods in San Jose despite the proliferation of them. Forbes reports that younger candidates were just happier in San Jose than most other places, scoring a whopping 3.94 out of 5 on the blissed-out business scale. And Manpower reported the San Jose collective region was the best city to find a job in the spring of 2013. Choose an appropriate side, pack you laptop, and get ready to duke it out with other nerds turned entrepreneurs.

Unemployment rate: 7.30%

We know what you’re thinking. Yes, New Orleans has a high-ish unemployment rate and a questionable economy. But that's exactly why it’s actually the perfect place for a young up-and-comer to settle their roots and continue the revamp of one of the greatest cities in the world. The culture is comparatively progressive whilst still remaining a Southern state, open to a wider demographic of business variables like businesses centered around the LGBTQ community, non-profits, or artist-centric companies. New Orleans is also one of the most college-student dominated towns, with a 20% increase in college-grad residents, making it a great place for young people, realtors, or entrepreneurs that work in education. New Orleans ranks high for the increasing number of people moving to the city, making the market increasingly competitive which—in the longrun—means higher salaries.

Unemployment rate: 4%

Rainy and beautiful, Seattle isn’t just one of the best cities in the world to enjoy both sea and mountain life amongst a bustling, literate group of people all wired on coffee and technology. According to Global Trade magazine, Seattle is a leader in world trade—it ranked 7th in the nation. A consistent leader in job growth, Seattle only has a 4.0% unemployment rate thanks to the city being the center of international based companies that reach people directly, like Starbucks, or indirectly, like Amazon. The existence of Boeing’s state income tax-free manufacturing plant makes a huge difference and Seattle is becoming a major force to be reckoned with thanks to its manufacturing revival.

Unemployment rate: 5.70%

Ohio is often overlooked as an economic power player, but the city of Columbus has been gradually growing and leveling out throughout the new wave of the financial recession. On a recent Forbes’ list, Columbus come in at a cool #20 on its list of best places for businesses and careers, with the cost of living 6% below the national average and jobs growing at a nice, steady 2.7%. And, if you were to judge by job listings, according to Juju, for every one job listing, there is three people, making the odds of finding a job much higher.

Unemployment rate: 6.70%

Hipsters love Nashville thanks to well-known rock-blues musicians like Jack White and Dan Auerbach from the Black Keys using the iconic Southern music city as their homebase. One of the most interesting part of this hipster equation is that since most of young trendsetters are college grads, Nashville boasts a 14% increase in college grad residents. Also adding to Nashville’s charm is its Southern flair and rich history, which make it a prime place for tourism-related businesses. The city has been called “an engine of the economy and job creation,” with the job growth foretold to rise a huge 18% in the next 5 years thanks to education, service jobs and even manufacturing. Music is not the only thing that keeps Nashville buzzing, but it’s a nice perk for those working competitive 9-5’s to have a culture-based community around them. Relatively cheap rent isn't anything to scoff at, either.

Unemployment rate: 7.30%

Listed on Forbes as one of the best cities to find a job, Richmond is tops in technology, manufacturing and financial services, but the state of Virginia's capital also houses six of the top Fortune 500 companies, including Dominion and CarMax. UPS Corporate headquarters are also in Richmond. Part of the reason why Richmond is an ideal economic force is that their job market is so eclectic. Military bases around the area have inspired non-profits, but there are also high-profile companies that service much needed environmental business, which is sure to be a career field that rivals technology, thanks to global warming.

Unemployment rate: 7.50%

In a rare move, Charlotte recently allowed criminals to get jobs despite their prior history by helping decades-old convicted criminals to get their charges erased. While some may debate this, the Gamma + world city is second in the country in New York as a financial center. Young accountants can find a more laid-back Southern lifestyle with the same rush of Wall Street; Bank of America has its prestigious headquarters in Charlotte. Wells Fargo also has its capital markets in Charlotte and media giants like Time Warner Cable and Fox Sports also run out of Charlotte. And, there's always Nascar.

Unemployment rate: 8.3%

Yep. Despite it being one of the biggest cities in the country with the densest population, the Big Apple is actually a great place for qualified applicants to take a big bite out of their dream. Jobs in finance, entertainment, and media are vital to the economy of New York and only Los Angeles can attempt to rival New York’s dominance over those fields. But New York is 30% more productive than the rest of the United States. If New York was a country, it would rank 17th in the world in terms of economic power. New York City and its bouroughs are also at a high for how many people are on a consistent payroll—3.95 million people in total.

Unemployment rate: 8.50%

Although the unemployment rates have been a bit of a roller coaster in Washington D.C., the resting place of the president ranks high in overall job growth. Jobs like programming, private-sector research, and programming are just some of the fields experiencing significant growth over the last several years. Evidence of increased jobs in the long-term include more building, and more competitive real estate market. Settle in with Obama while you can.

Unemployment rate: 4.10%

Average wages in Salt Lake City might be less than the American average, but what you get for cost of living and quality of life in the beautiful Utah town makes it almost worth it, especially when unemployment rates are a super low 4.1%. So while you may not be making the most money, it’s possible to have a job when other cities in the country are struggling for even part time gigs. Time Magazine even listed Salt Lake City as one of the “best cities for cheapskates,” thanks to the cost of living being considerably below average. This has made Salt Lake City a great destination for 20-something graduates, with 17% of the population being in their 20s. With a high percentage of jobs in construction, wholesale, and finance just ready for the taking, what's stopping you?

Unemployment rate: 5.90%

It’s no surprise that a major East Coast college town with a vast history has a solid foothold in the job market, but it might not be for reasons you expected. One of Boston’s most booming industries is tech with it seeing 11.3% tech growth in the last ten years, with 10% of that being in the two years. A simple train ride away from New York and a major port, Boston has become a necessary pit-stop for the international workforce, with many of the world’s most talented coming through nearby Harvard, Yale, and MIT, and staying in the city beyond their college years. That also means that cheap, young labor is easy to find, and jobs are surging amongst the college black market, like $17-per-hour babysitting gigs. Who wouldn’t want their child tutored by some of the most intelligent co-eds in the world?

Unemployment rate: 4.10%

There’s oil in them there hills. Oklahoma City might be a pretty conservative place to live, but generally, where there’s conservatives, there’s tons and tons of old money. And Oklahoma City is a major oil city and one of the world’s biggest companies, GE, is primed to establish an oil and gas research center in Oklahoma City. Six major companies in Oklahoma City, including AT&T, have also qualified this claim, creating job incentives with over 140 new jobs expected. With their finger on the pulse of the two things that majorly rule the world—energy and communication—Oklahoma has the makings to become a major center of commerce in the next 20 years.

Unemployment rate: 4.70%

Because of the decline in factory, industrial, and farm work in the Midwest, a lot of the jobs that were the bread and butter of, well, the bread and butter industry, disappeared or shifted into something less lucrative. But the magical Minneapolis-St. Paul region has so much going for them as a collective that young people that want to move on up without moving on out of their slightly quaint urban existence can find that perfect dichotomy in the Twin Cities. Minneapolis-St. Paul has consistently been called a city of growth and boasts an unemployment rate of only 4.7%. With a population of almost 4 million people in the entire region, it’s impressive that a city with so many people can support most of them with a local economy that houses 18 of Minnesota’s 19 Fortune 500 quarters.

Unemployment rate: 4.80%

Where can you find kickass BBQ, an awesome rock scene, a laid-back Southern vibe (without the gun-toting conservative oil-pumping white-hairs found in other parts of Texas), college-aged cuties, and lots of jobs in diverse industries including high-energy ones, like tech and music? Austin, the Silicon Hills of Texas. Beyond the mix of young folks, culture, and economic boom, the numbers just stack up in Austin’s favor. The 5-year growth rate is a generous 3.9%, with only Dallas beating out Austin in that area, and the rise in employment in Austin is number one at 15.4%. Thanks to lower taxes, many tech companies from California are moving their offices to places like Austin. The costs of living in Austin is also a lot more low-key. If you don’t want to live around the bars and clubs, a young professional can shack up in a house with 3 bedrooms like this we found on Craigslist. Many tech companies started in someone’s living room, imagine the possibilities (and the amount of money you could utilize to keep yourself rolling in Texas beer and ribs.)