With employers expecting to hire 16.6 percent more graduates from the Class of 2019 than in the previous year, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2019’s Best & Worst States for Jobs.
The site compared all 50 states across 33 key indicators of job-market strength, opportunity and economic vitality. The data set ranges from employment growth to median annual income to average commute time.
The Tar Heel State was ranked #42 in the nation, just behind Pennsylvania and Arkansas. South Carolina was ranked 7 places higher at #35.
| Overall Rank (1 = Best) |
State | Total Score | ‘Job Market’ Rank | ‘Economic Environment’ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 71.88 | 1 | 16 |
| 2 | Washington | 68.26 | 11 | 1 |
| 3 | Colorado | 66.82 | 2 | 12 |
| 4 | Vermont | 64.73 | 3 | 18 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | 64.40 | 5 | 9 |
| 6 | Minnesota | 64.12 | 4 | 15 |
| 7 | Delaware | 63.83 | 6 | 14 |
| 8 | New Jersey | 62.92 | 28 | 2 |
| 9 | California | 60.84 | 7 | 25 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | 60.79 | 17 | 7 |
| 11 | Nebraska | 60.33 | 12 | 20 |
| 12 | Texas | 60.10 | 29 | 3 |
| 13 | Connecticut | 59.50 | 21 | 10 |
| 14 | Virginia | 59.08 | 13 | 22 |
| 15 | Iowa | 58.99 | 10 | 27 |
| 16 | South Dakota | 58.56 | 24 | 13 |
| 17 | Tennessee | 58.16 | 30 | 8 |
| 18 | Utah | 58.12 | 15 | 23 |
| 19 | Nevada | 57.60 | 25 | 19 |
| 20 | New York | 57.19 | 8 | 35 |
| 21 | Florida | 56.73 | 33 | 11 |
| 22 | North Dakota | 55.84 | 39 | 5 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | 55.61 | 22 | 28 |
| 24 | Kansas | 55.57 | 32 | 21 |
| 25 | Idaho | 55.46 | 14 | 36 |
| 26 | Maryland | 55.40 | 9 | 41 |
| 27 | Arizona | 55.40 | 18 | 29 |
| 28 | Maine | 54.69 | 16 | 37 |
| 29 | Michigan | 53.09 | 36 | 26 |
| 30 | Hawaii | 52.68 | 20 | 40 |
| 31 | Illinois | 51.92 | 31 | 34 |
| 32 | New Mexico | 51.91 | 45 | 17 |
| 33 | Missouri | 51.63 | 27 | 39 |
| 34 | Wyoming | 51.12 | 46 | 4 |
| 35 | South Carolina | 51.02 | 37 | 30 |
| 36 | Georgia | 51.01 | 23 | 43 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | 50.74 | 41 | 24 |
| 38 | Indiana | 49.85 | 35 | 38 |
| 39 | Oregon | 49.72 | 19 | 47 |
| 40 | Ohio | 48.97 | 40 | 31 |
| 41 | Montana | 48.93 | 38 | 33 |
| 42 | North Carolina | 48.85 | 34 | 42 |
| 43 | Pennsylvania | 46.56 | 26 | 49 |
| 44 | Arkansas | 45.30 | 42 | 44 |
| 45 | Alabama | 44.36 | 44 | 45 |
| 46 | Alaska | 44.19 | 50 | 6 |
| 47 | Louisiana | 43.91 | 47 | 32 |
| 48 | Kentucky | 37.90 | 43 | 50 |
| 49 | Mississippi | 37.15 | 48 | 46 |
| 50 | West Virginia | 34.83 | 49 | 48 |
What do you think about the ranking?
How do you feel about North Carolina’s job market?