unemployment texas rates
Best Cities for Jobs in Texas?
I’m an Oregon Native, and although I love my home state so much, I feel forced to leave because the unemployment rate is super-duper high, and even with an M.A in English, I can’t find a job.
I heard TX is great for jobs and overall quality of living (at least better than my rural city in Oregon). I’ve never been to TX, but I just applied for a job in Austin.
So, Texans, what cities do you champion? Where might I have better luck with jobs? I don’t want to be too picky about weather, but is it super hot like I heard (I’m used to sleet and snow). Either way, I can welcome more sunshine in my life:)
Thanks for answering:)
It depends on what sort of job you are looking for.
Houston and Dallas of all places were both recently featured in Yahoo home page articles concerning best places to live and raise a family. Both cities ranked in the top 5 of both rankings, with Houston ranking first for “Best cities to live”. These rankings seem based solely on some sort of jobs available / cost of living ratio, as Houston and Dallas are both notorious for being completely devoid of any type of cultural identity. Both cities did just recently complete a light-rail system which somehow qualifies as high culture.
You can probably see where I’m headed. I live in Austin, which 4 or 5 years ago also frequently topped, or was 2nd, for lists of “Best Cities” — to work, to play, to be single, to raise a family, to have a dog, to find a job, etc. Admittedly the past 5 years have also seen some explosive growth and yet the cost of living is still comparable to Dallas and Houston and favorable when compared to the rest of the country.
In addition, Austin also has a world-renowned music scene, and just an overall character of creativity, and entrepeneurial spirit that I think is lacking in other cities in Texas, and most other cities in the country as well.
With your MA in English I can tell you right now as a fellow English major that you will be very disappointed in Houston or Dallas — if you don’t find a job in your field you will still find plenty of intellectual pursuits here in Austin that will keep you mentally stimulated.
Houston is tops right now, and will remain so as long as gasoline is $4 per gallon — the Houston economy is based on energy, which is quite profitable right now, if you’re an oilman.
Austin’s economy isn’t quite thriving like it was 1999 due to it’s high-tech sector being in a slump… but for the long term you should bet on Austin.
Job losses better than expected
