POCATELLO — According to a study done by the financial technology company SmartAsset, Pocatello is leading the country in terms of job prospects.
A study of the “Top 10 Cities for Career Opportunities” conducted by SmartAsset finds the Gate City checking in at No. 3. The report looked at the 355 largest metros in the United States and weighed factors such as the unemployment rate, median income, cost of living and more. Using the figures, each city received a score out of possible 100. Pocatello scored a 94.1 and is the only city from Idaho in the top 25.
Pocatello’s low unemployment rate and low cost of living bumped the city up the list of best cities for career opportunities.
Having some of the region’s top employers, including Portneuf Medical Center, Union Pacific Railroad and Idaho State University, also helped Pocatello climb to No. 3 on the ladder.
“The businesses in our community are finding success, and when businesses are successful, they hire,” Pocatello Mayor Brian Blad said. “Another thing is the quality of our workforce; Pocatellans are hardworking people. Looking at figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. From May 2015 to May 2016, our unemployment rate dropped from 3.7 percent to 3 percent. The labor force has also increased by nearly 900 from 42,409 to 43,302.”
In the same report last year, Pocatello ranked 15th in the country. Also in 2015, Pocatello was ranked 27 out of 327 cities in recovering the most since the recession. This is the second annual study of the best cities for career opportunities done by SmartAsset.
“This analysis confirms what we’ve been seeing in our community for some time now: an economy that’s on an upward trajectory,” Blad said. “Beyond just the economic advantages to living in Pocatello, I would add that we’re second-to-none in terms of recreation opportunities, a place to raise a family and quality of life in general.”
Idaho’s neighboring state of Utah had two cities also rank within the top 10 cities. Provo ranked first, and Logan came in at No. 4.
To view the entire report from SmartAsset, visit smartasset.com/mortgage/the-top-10-cities-for-career-opportunities-in-2016.
