15 best, worst cities for jobs

Scottsdale, Ariz., is the best city to find a job in 2024 and Newark, N.J., is the worst, according to a WalletHub analysis released Jan. 4.  

WalletHub assessed 182 cities — including the 150 most populated in the U.S. — on two key dimensions: job market and economic environment. The dimensions were evaluated using 31 metrics, including employment growth, job security and average workday and commuting time. 

Below are the 15 best and worst cities to find a job, as determined by WalletHub, along with their corresponding scores. See the full ranking and scoring methodology here. 

Best cities to find a job:

1. Scottsdale, Ariz. — 66.05
2. Tampa, Fla. — 63.14
3. Salt Lake City — 62.97
4. Columbia, Md. — 62.97
5. Austin, Texas — 62.92
6. Atlanta — 62.83
7. Seattle — 62.66
8. Pittsburgh, Pa. — 62.11
9. Plano, Texas — 62.0933
10. Boston — 61.97
11. South Burlington, Vt. — 61.95
12. Portland, Maine — 61.83
13. Tempe, Ariz. — 61.79
14. Orlando, Fla. — 61.38
15. Denver — 61.28

Worst cities to find a job:

1. Newark, N.J. — 39.37
2. Las Cruces, N.M. — 40.06
3. Gulfport, Miss. — 40.97
4. San Bernardino, Calif. — 41.72
5. Augusta, Ga. — 42.62
6. Stockton, Calif. — 42.67
7. Bakersfield, Calif. — 43.10
8. Memphis, Tenn. — 43.76
9. Columbus, Ga. — 43.86
10. Bridgeport, Conn. — 43.95
11. Baton Rouge, La. — 43.97
12. Shreveport, La. — 44.00
13. Detroit — 44.26
14. North Las Vegas, Nev. — 44.48
15. Brownsville, Texas — 44.63