The American Cities That Added (And Lost) The Most Jobs

The Cities that Added the Most Jobs

5. Miami, Florida
> Employed pct. increase: 4.28%
> Total employed increase: 7,334
> Workforce: 201,530
> Unemployment rate: 11.2%

In November, 2010, Miami had an unemployment rate of 13.6%, the 36th-highest unemployment rate among the largest 250 cities in the U.S. By October of this year, the rate had dropped to 11.2%. Over the past 12 months, the city has added more than 7,300 jobs, primarily in the retail sector. According to NPR, there are also plans in the works to develop a $3 billion casino in the city. If a success, the proposed casino, which would become the largest in the world, likely would bring in hundreds — if not thousands — of additional jobs.

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4. Bakersfield, California
> Employed pct. increase: 4.88%
> Total employed increase: 6,613
> Workforce: 156,888
> Unemployment rate: 9.4%

At one point, Bakersfield was one of the worst culprits in the ongoing employment crisis in California, which currently has the second-highest unemployment rate in the country. In January 2010, unemployment for Kern county, in which Bakersfield is located, jumped to an astounding 17.1%. However, since October of last year, unemployment within the city limits of Bakersfield has dropped from a rate of 11% to 9.4%. This is still above the national average but well below the state’s rate of 11.7%. According to Kern Economic Development Corp. director Melinda Brown, as quoted by Bakersfield.com, “Kern County has actually been one of the most successful counties in California at growing manufacturing jobs.” Brown explained that this was due to the region’s healthy oil and food processing industries.

3. Springfield, Missouri
> Employed pct. increase: 4.96%
> Total employed increase: 3,610
> Workforce: 82,429
> Unemployment rate: 7.4%

The employed workforce in Springfield, Mo., jumped nearly 5% between November, 2010 and October, 2011. The city has added 3,610 jobs over the course of the past year, and unemployment has dropped to 7.4%, below the state rate of 8.5%. The city of Springfield says its sales tax revenue increased more than 10% from last year. The improvement came in “sectors like restaurants, department stores, and home improvement stores,” according to Ozarksfirst.com. This growth points to a healthy, growing economy — the most important component of job growth.

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2. Pueblo, Colorado
> Employed pct. increase: 5.3%
> Total employed increase: 2,432
> Workforce: 53,951
> Unemployment rate: 10.5%

As of October 2011, the unemployment rate in Pueblo was 10.5%, a full 2.4 percentage points higher than Colorado’s rate. Over that time period, the employed population in the city increased by more than 5%. This is a solid improvement from 12 months ago, when 11.7% of the city’s workforce was unemployed. In 2010, Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas opened a plant in Pueblo, adding hundreds of new jobs.

1. Fort Wayne, Indiana
> Employed pct. increase: 6.36%
> Total employed increase: 7,052
> Workforce: 129,151
> Unemployment rate: 8.7%

In just one year, Fort Wayne has added more than 7,000 jobs, increasing its employed population by some 6.4%. The unemployment rate dropped from 10.7% to 8.7%. Fort Wayne added the 11th most positions in the country, eclipsing the natural job growth of much larger cities like San Antonio, Phoenix and Philadelphia. In fact, the Fort Wayne metro area had the fastest job growth, according to The Fiscal Times. The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette explains that “Fort Wayne — which had a 4 percent increase — continues to benefit from the rebirth of auto manufacturing and high levels of defense spending.”