The job market is on the slow road to recovery, but living in the Tampa Bay area still has its advantages.
A new report from WalletHub lists Tampa as the third best metropolitan area in the country for job seekers, behind only Fort Worth, Texas, and Washington, D.C.
WalletHub, a company that provides insurance information and finances for business owners, analyzed 60 of the country’s largest cities using 13 metrics ranging from job openings per capita, cost of living, and the prevalence of employer-provided health benefits.
In fact, Tampa was one of only two cities that made the top 30 — Miami just came in at the final slot. Texas, on the other hand, dominated the list with seven cities, including five in the top 10. It was broken up only by Seattle, Denver and Mesa, Ariz.
Tampa, however, has a long way to go to become an elite city for job seekers. Despite finishing in the top three, Tampa did not make the top five when it came to fastest-growing workforce (Bakersfield, Calif.), and highest median starting salary (San Jose at $57,108).
The top cities for job seekers are:
1. Fort Worth, Texas
2. Washington, D.C.
3. Tampa
4. Arlington, Texas
5. Dallas
6. Austin, Texas
7. Seattle
8. Denver
9. Mesa, Ariz.
10. Houston
11. Raleigh, N.C.
12. Corpus Christi, Texas
13. Aurora, Colo.
14. Phoenix
15. San Jose
