The best places to live and work
If you feel that you are not getting anywhere and opportunities do not appear in your immediate future. Maybe it’s time for a change of scenery. Business Week recently compiled a list of the “Best Places to Start Over”; here’s a highlight of some of their picks. Who knows, maybe you’ll be inspired to pack up and try one of these places.
Anchorage, AK
Anchorage can be a bit remote, winters are very long, dark and cold. But, on a positive note, the summers are beautiful if short, the scenery is stunning, and 28% of employers are hiring. Employers here are hard-pressed for educated, skilled workers, and the scales definitely tip in favor of the prospective employee.
Providence Health & Services Alaska says they have an average of about 200 open positions. The most difficult jobs to fill are speech-language pathologists and nurses with training in wound care and neonatal intensive care.
Other big employers include ConocoPhillips (COP) and ExxonMobil (XOM), which represent the oil industry, and big canneries like Unisea and Alyeska.
The median home price is $313,796 and the unemployment rate is 8.1%.
Texas
Texas remains strong in its oil and health care industries and, as a result, has experienced fewer negative effects from the economic crisis than most states. Perhaps due to the sheer volume of opportunities, they too are having trouble finding qualified employees.
ProvoOrem, Utah
For techies, Utah may turn out to be the land of opportunity. The unemployment rate sits at around 5.1%, but many of the positions are filled by employees in their 20s who could easily go back to school, leaving positions vacant. Very specific jobs, such as software engineers, are in high demand at information technology companies.
Some 24% of companies plan to hire in the next quarter, and other popular industries include construction, transportation, finance, education, and healthcare.
The median home price in Provo Orem is $195,333.
Kennewick-Richland-Pasco, Washington
About 24% of employers in this three-city area plan to hire in the coming months. Strong industries include manufacturing, food processing, and services. Two large employers include Washington State University and the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
Median home prices here are $133,134 and the unemployment rate is 8.8%.
Omaha, Nebraska-Council Bluffs, Iowa
22% of local area employers plan to hire in the next quarter. Good job prospects include construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, financial, educational and health services, and leisure and hospitality. Several large corporations make their home here, including Berkshire Hathaway, Union Pacific, ConAgra Foods, and Kiewit. The cost of living is low, there is little pollution and plenty to do.
The median home price is $114,977.
Richmond, VA
As with Omaha, 22% of local area employers plan to hire in the next quarter. Good job prospects include construction, durable goods manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, transportation, education and health services, and leisure and hospitality.
The many varied industries in Richmond include chemicals, food, tobacco manufacturing, biotechnology, high-tech fibers, and semiconductors.
The median home price is $167,185 and the unemployment rate is 7.8%.