High unemployment, low monthly incomes plague these locales
By Rachel Gillett
Job prospects are looking better this year for recent college grads, but that doesn't mean all US cities are experiencing the same hiring boom.
Employment opportunities vary significantly based on geography, and some
cities still lag behind when it comes to things like job growth and
unemployment rates.
To determine the worst places for recent college graduates to launch their burgeoning careers, personal finance site WalletHub
analyzed and ranked the 150-most-populous US cities based on 19 metrics
pertaining to professional opportunities and quality of life.
Metrics included the number of entry-level jobs per 10,000 residents,
housing affordability, annual job growth rate, recreation ranking,
unemployment rate, and number of leisure establishments in the area.
(Read the full report and methodology here.)
10. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
1/10
Monthly median starting salary: $2,186
Number of entry-level jobs per 10,000 residents: 26
With stalling population growth and poor economic mobility,
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, landed the No. 147 spot for overall professional
opportunities and No. 122 for quality of life.
9. Mobile, Alabama
2/10
Monthly median starting salary: $2,388
Entry-level jobs per 10,000 residents: 12
Mobile, Alabama, has few single people to hang out with and even
fewer entry-level jobs, earning the city an overall
professional-opportunities rank of No. 133 and overall quality-of-life
score of 149 out of 150.
8. Modesto, California
3/10
Monthly median starting salary: $1,908
Entry-level jobs per 10,000 residents: 13
With a high unemployment rate and very few things to do in your
downtime, Modesto, California, might not be the best place to start out.
The city comes in at No. 138 for overall professional opportunities and
No. 141 for overall quality of life. Modesto does rank seventh for its
great weather, though.