According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ most recent jobs report, the national unemployment rate has fallen to an eighteen-year low of 3.7 percent while hiring is up.
If you're looking for a new job in Houston in 2019, Wallet Hub analyst Jill Gonzalez said the job market is strong, but the socio-economics need to catch up.
"When it comes to people moving there to hold down a job, things like median annual income could be a bit higher, especially for housing affordability there. Transportation costs could be a little bit lower," said Gonzalez.
But, the time it takes to get to that job might not be worth it. Houston is ranked 175th in the nation for work and commute time.
Overall, Houston ranks 82nd in the nation to find a job.
WalletHub compared 182 cities - including the 150 most populated U.S. cities - across two key dimensions, “Job Market” and “Socio-economics.”
Finding Work in Houston (1=Best; 91=Avg.)
- 12th - Monthly Average Starting Salary
- 55th - Housing Affordability
- 77th - Industry Variety
- 88th - Median Annual Income
- 97th - Job Opportunities
- 126th - Unemployment Rate
- 126th - % of Workforce Living in Poverty
- 135th - Employment Growth*
- 175th - Avg. Work & Commute Time
*Adjusted for cost of living
Gonzalez said there’s a lot of job opportunities, employment is growing and unemployment rate is low, while job security and job satisfaction are both high.
She said they didn't find what industry has most jobs, but that there's a lot of job variety.
"There's a low amount of automation risk. So, that means that, you know, in five, 10, 20 years, few jobs will still be around, which you really can't say about too many other cities," said Gonzalez.
Good news for college graduates.
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, employers plan to hire 16.6 percent more members from the Class of 2019 than from the previous graduating classes.
Brownsville had the fewest job opportunities and highest unemployment rate in Texas, and tied Laredo for lowest monthly average starting salary.
Plano had one of the highest annual median income in the nation.