Homestate Glory
Texas reigns supreme on new list of best big U.S. cities for jobs
Forbes recently put out its 2014 list of Best Big Cities for Jobs. With Austin, Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth and San Antonio all in the top 12, Texas is the state with the most cities on the list by far.
Just another reason for us to feel some Texas pride.
Forbes ranked the nation's 398 metropolitan statistical areas based on employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics from November 2002 through January 2014. The rankings are based on recent growth trends, mid-term growth, long-term growth and the region's momentum. For this list, Forbes ranked 66 metropolitan areas with more than 450,000 jobs.
Texas has dominated Forbes' roundup for the past few years. In 2012, Austin topped the list, followed by Houston at No. 2; Fort Worth was No. 4 and Dallas was No. 6. Last year, however, Austin dropped to No. 10, and Houston fell to No. 5. Fort Worth and Dallas maintained their respective spots.
On this year's list, the Dallas area, with 2.2 million jobs and 2.8 percent growth in 2013, dropped to No. 9. Fort Worth fell to No. 11, with 931,000 jobs and growth of 2.5 percent in 2013.
With 881,000 jobs and growth of 4.1 percent in 2013, Austin leapt back up to No. 3 behind San Jose-Santa Clara and San Francisco. Houston maintained its No. 5 spot, with 2.83 million jobs and growth of 3 percent in 2013.
San Antonio moved into the No. 12 spot, with 913,000 jobs and growth of 2.2 percent in 2013.