Thread: What the hell are we doing in Thailand?

Best Cities For Jobs In 2008


By Matthew Kirdahy, Forbes.com
Jan. 10, 2008
Austin, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio all rank high on the latest forecast data from Moody's Economy.com. McAllen,

Texas, is expected to have the highest job growth rate, as its leisure and hospitality, educational and health services and commercial construction jobs flourish.

"While the economy is cooling, Texas continues to generate more jobs than the national average," said Krista Piferrer, deputy press secretary to Gov. Rick Perry. "Unemployment is low in Texas, thanks in large part to a favorable business climate that encourages businesses to expand or relocate to our state."

Even still, Salt Lake City, in all its tech-job abundance, looks like it will remain No. 1 since Forbes.com's most recent ranking.

Slideshow: Best Cities for Jobs in 2008


To compile the rankings for the Best Cities For Jobs list forecast, we used five data points, weighted equally: the state's unemployment rate, job growth, income growth, median household income and cost of living for full-year 2006 (only partial data is available so far for 2007). We measured the largest 100 metropolitan areas, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, and obtained the data from Moody's Economy.com.

The numbers are compiled based on greater metropolitan areas; it's also important to note that this list doesn't weigh specifics like job composition or job stability, two significant characteristics that will appeal to any job seeker.
Mark Zandi, chief economist and co-founder of Moody's Economy.com, acknowledged the housing market depression the company is facing and said the destinations that prevail on this list weren't as heavily vested in the real estate development boom, which ultimately led to a historic bust.
That's not to say the highest-ranking cities on this list are completely in the clear, though: "If we have a national recession, if problems intensify nationwide, these economies are going to struggle," Zandi said.

The top cities on this list also include Atlanta, plentiful in transportation, distribution and financial services careers. Indianapolis has a strong showing in agriculture, too. Omaha, Neb., Warren Buffet's hometown, offers jobs at opposite ends of the spectrum, in financial services and agriculture as well. The Emerald City--Seattle--bring s aerospace and global trade professions to the table.

Kurt Ronn, president and founder of HRworks, an Atlanta-based job recruitment and consulting firm, said Americans gravitate to certain locales based on opportunity and affordability, both offered right in his backyard.

He noted that, on a broad scale, the employment picture has been strong in the areas of technology and logistics, such as in distribution and sales.

Some notables: Honolulu is the best in the pack for low unemployment, a good sign that tourism there remains healthy. Edison, N.J., ranked the highest in the median income category. Buffalo, N.Y., has the lowest cost of living, while San Jose, Calif., has the highest. New York sits at No. 58 on the list, while Los Angeles is No. 87.
Best Cities For Jobs In 2008 - Yahoo! Real Estate

The US has always been the best place for work, no doubt about that, and the environment is the best for business, very dynamic and open. The problem is the social cost and the fact that Americans have little social life outside work, except for shopping at WallMart, and going to movie theaters.

If it's a choice between America and Thailand then we know where most of us here would choose...

How many U.S. cities would fall into the worlds top ten? [quick google...]

The world's top cities offering the best quality of life(New York is the base city with a score of 100 points)

2007 Rank

2006 Rank

City

Country

Points

1

1

Zurich Switzerland

108.1

2

2

Geneva Switzerland

108.0

=3

3

Vancouver Canada

107.7

=3

4

Vienna Austria

107.7

=5

5

Auckland New Zealand

107.3

=5

6

Düsseldorf Germany

107.3

7

7

Frankfurt Germany

107.1

8

8

Munich Germany

106.9

=9

9

Bern Switzerland

106.5

=9

9

Sydney Australia

106.5

11

11

Copenhagen Denmark

106.2

12

12

Wellington New Zealand

105.8

13

13

Amsterdam Netherlands

105.7

14

14

Brussels Belgium

105.6

15

15

Toronto Canada

105.4

16

16

Berlin Germany

105.2

17

17

Melbourne Australia

105.0

=18

18

Luxembourg Luxembourg

104.8

=18

21

Ottawa Canada

104.8

20

20

Stockholm Sweden

104.7

^ Shit... can't be bothered tidying that table... No UK cities either in top 20...

And where is Pattaya?.. I thought that would be number 1

^ most of those places are extremly boring, who is living there ?

Originally Posted by Butterfly

The US has always been the best place for work, no doubt about that, and the environment is the best for business, very dynamic and open. The problem is the social cost and the fact that Americans have little social life outside work, except for shopping at WallMart, and going to movie theaters.

Outside the cities, I'd agree, but near any major metropolitian area, I would think the opposite true. Lots to do but jobs don't pay enough for high rent areas.

Americans have little social life outside work, except for shopping at WallMart, and going to movie theaters.

Did you just make that up or is it based on some incorrect stereotype?

^ well outside the big cities, this is definitely true, that and Shopping Mall browsing

Originally Posted by Butterfly

^ most of those places are extremly boring, who is living there ?

Boring people that don't know what 'quality of life' means....

Pattaya is the best city in the world to live... You can wake up in the morning, think to yourself 'what do I want to do today?'... and it's all there on your doorstep...

I can think of one minor drawback of living in Atlanta, Salt Lake City or Houston: aren't they full of Americans?

Originally Posted by benbaaa

I can think of one minor drawback of living in Atlanta, Salt Lake City or Houston: aren't they full of Americans?

Salt Lake City is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Jing.

^ It's all relative too. I'm certainly earning less here than I would be back home but by the same token I pay less for living costs so by-in-large in balances out. Swings and roundabouts.

On top of which I'm about 1000% less stressed than I was being in the 'rat-race'

SLC is a very beautiful place in a beautiful area, nice city to live in if you have to live in a city, I didn't have to and lived in Grantsville and worked on a dredge on salt lake pumping ,evee material for solar evap. ponds, but worked so many hours a day that there was only time for work, sleep and hauling the money to the bank, didn't even have time to fold it..

And I was in the states when that fuel crunch hit in 73 or so, and went over to Texas when we left Alabama after I closed down the plant I was running to haul some stuff for one of my workers that was going to texas to work, I ended up checking on a job and they hired me on the spot at my asked for wage, so I stayed awhile, not in Houston but outside at a town named Brazoria, lots to do there, after work we BBQ, drank Lonestar Long Necks and listened to Blue grass music, or went fishing or catching mud puppys, cooked em and drinking Lonestar Long Necks and listenin to Bluegrass.
Hell I might still be there if a Dredging co. from Baltimore hadn't called me and offered me a good job in Bahrain as welder on the dredge New Jersey, I took that and 2 days later I was in Manama Bahrain,, But after that went to work there for Halliburton/Brown and Root up in Iraq.

SLC is my hometown, so be careful. Nobody trash this beautiful place....

^Yes, Indians mee.

look like a Featherhead,,,, some folks call em Blanketass,,

Originally Posted by chinthee

Originally Posted by benbaaa

I can think of one minor drawback of living in Atlanta, Salt Lake City or Houston: aren't they full of Americans?

Salt Lake City is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Jing.

Ya, but no booze.

Originally Posted by Jet Gorgon

Originally Posted by chinthee

Originally Posted by benbaaa

I can think of one minor drawback of living in Atlanta, Salt Lake City or Houston: aren't they full of Americans?

Salt Lake City is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Jing.

Ya, but no booze.

Not true. I've stayed drunk every year I lived there and every year thereafter too....

^^You drink, Jet? I thought you might be one of those tea totalitarians?

They always had booze there, but used to be some different laws tho, but it was available.

Originally Posted by Frankenstein

^^You drink, Jet? I thought you might be one of those tea totalitarians?

As I write, I have a mug of green tea and a big glass of white wine at my side. Split up those vices.

Originally Posted by rawlins

Originally Posted by Butterfly

^ most of those places are extremly boring, who is living there ?

Boring people that don't know what 'quality of life' means....

Pattaya is the best city in the world to live... You can wake up in the morning, think to yourself 'what do I want to do today?'... and it's all there on your doorstep...

Rawly says good things......I nearly always agree with him!

Auckland, New Zealand at #5.

There's something wrong with that ranking system. That place is a dump.

Originally Posted by Plan B

Auckland, New Zealand at #5.

There's something wrong with that ranking system. That place is a dump.

No shit?
Worse than Roto-Vegas?