The new year makes everyone want to start fresh — including in their careers. If you're looking to job hop, location should be an important consideration if you want to have a fruitful job search.
In an effort to help prospective applicants secure a job in 2024, personal finance company WalletHub ranked all 50 states based on the best locations to find employment this year. The platform measured each state against 34 key indicators of job-market strength and economic vitality, including employment growth and the median annual income to the average commute time and work hours.
"The past few years have been volatile for job seekers, going from massive unemployment all the way to worker shortages," Cassandra Happe, a WalletHub analyst, said in a release. "Living in one of the best states for jobs can help you not just secure a career, but also improve your chances of getting competitive wages, good benefits and high job security."
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Washington topped WalletHub's ranking with its high job potential for applicants in tech hubs like Seattle, its lack of income tax, as well as high pay and robust employment protections such as paid sick leave, equal pay and protection against sexual harassment. Virginia was named the second best state for job seekers for its high salaries — the median household income was $78,726 — while also having an excellent work environment and high job security rates. Utah appears in third place thanks to its lower-than-average unemployment rate and the shortest workweeks in the nation, at 37.1 hours.
At the bottom of the list, states including Arkansas, Alabama and Idaho ranked poorly for their low employment growth, low monthly salaries and median household incomes, as well as long work hours.
See what other states made WalletHub's best and worst places to find a job:
