Ajilon Professional Staffing Announces 10 Best Cities to Find a Job

MELVILLE, N.Y., March 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- For the second year, Ajilon Professional Staffing has identified  the 10 best cities for finding employment in the U.S., with Minneapolis taking this year's top spot.

Ajilon Professional Staffing, a leader in specialty recruiting and workforce solutions, compiled its list using Department of Labor statistics and insights from its regional market branches.  Each of the cities on the list boasts an unemployment rate of 8 percent or lower, below the current national average of 8.9 percent. In determining the list, Ajilon also considered a number of factors, including the diversity of industries in the city, cost of living, the range in size of companies offering employment, and  level of higher education among its residents.

Minneapolis-St. Paul rose to the top of this year's list, in large part due to the fact that hiring is on the rise in this market for many of the big industry players in fields including financial services, health care, retail, and manufacturing--contributing to a lower level of unemployment. In addition, there is an increased demand in Minneapolis for specialty positions, including specialty tax and compliance, IT audit and SEC-related experience. Combined with additional factors including relatively low cost of living and low crime and poverty rates, the Twin Cities offers an ideal environment for job seekers.

Austin, Texas came in second place on the list as a result of the city's low cost of living and diverse talent pool.  Austin's robust educational community also contributed to boosting job growth in the market. Home to several major universities, including the University of Texas, local businesses have a vast pool of well-educated recent graduates to choose from for local employment opportunities in Austin.

The full list of this year's Top 10 cities is:

1. Minneapolis-St. Paul
2. Austin, Texas  
3. Salt Lake City
4. Boston
5. Milwaukee   
6. Richmond, Va.
7. Raleigh-Durham, N.C.  
8. Baltimore
9. Pittsburgh
10. Dallas

"All of these cities possess unique characteristics such as low cost of living and heavy diversity of industry that bring about an optimal environment for low unemployment in their areas," said Jodi Chavez, senior vice president at Ajilon Professional Staffing.  "It's exciting to see job growth, but it's even more exciting to see it in your hometown.  These cities offer tremendous opportunities for their residents by creating a positive and growing environment for talent and work."

About Ajilon Professional Staffing

Ajilon Professional Staffing is a leader in recruiting and project consulting, with specialty divisions in finance and accounting, management and office support, and legal. In North America, more than 200 offices service a range of clients through an integrated suite of human capital solutions.  For more information, please visit www.ajilon.com.

SOURCE Ajilon Professional Staffing