The 12 Top-Rated Cities for Job Seekers

For the third year in a row, the Washington, D.C., area has taken the top spot in the Gallup Good Jobs ratings.

This annual analysis rates the 50 most populous metropolitan areas in the U.S. based on the percentage of adults who work at least 30 hours per week, excluding the self-employed. It’s designed to “highlight places with a high percentage of jobs available to someone seeking full-time work,” Gallup explains.

The latest ratings, for 2016, are based on interviews with 354,980 adults.

The national Gallup Good Jobs rate, as the polling organization calls it, increased from 44.8 percent to 45.5 percent between 2015 and 2016.

Additionally, the rates for 35 out of the 50 metropolitan areas increased over the same period, with the biggest gains made by Indianapolis, San Diego and Milwaukee.

Gallup describes these improvements as reflective of a national trend:

The past year had its share of positive economic news for the United States, including a rising stock market, low unemployment and a boost to Gallup’s Job Creation Index. Among the bright spots has been the increase in the labor force participation rate, which had been in steady decline for more than a decade.

Twelve metropolitan areas earned a rating of at least 50 percent last year. As listed by Gallup Good Jobs rates, they are:

1. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 54.6 percent
2. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI: 53.4 percent
3. Austin-Round Rock, TX: 52.4 percent
4. Salt Lake City, UT: 52 percent
5. Raleigh, NC: 51.8 percent
6. Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO: 51.6 percent
7. Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN: 51.1 percent
8. Columbus, OH: 50.8 percent
9. Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD: 50.5 percent
10. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 50.4 percent
11. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 50.4 percent
12. Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC: 50 percent

State capitals with technology hubs have strong ratings, as does the nation’s capital. Gallup says that description applies to all of the top six metropolitan areas.

The lowest-rated area of the 50 in 2016 — Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL — earned a Gallup Good Jobs rate of 38.3 percent.

If you’re in the market for a new job, you might also want to check out:

• “Want a Great Job? Avoid These 10 Resume Buzzwords“
• “7 Ways to Build Willpower That Creates Success“
• “Do You Have the Traits That Lead to a Bigger Paycheck?“

How would you rate the metropolitan area you live in based on jobs? Let us know below or on Facebook.