Hometown Glory
Bring on the college kids: Businessweek declares Houston the best place to workfor grads
Wherever you go, whether it's Washington Ave. or EaDo, a young professionals group event or an art opening, there seems to have been an explosion of the under-30 set not seen since Reality Bites made Houston look like such a bummer.
And now we know why. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, Houston is the top city in the country for college grads as they head into the workforce, after being completely left off the list in 2009.
Businessweek used information from AfterCollege, a website that connects college graduates with employers hiring entry-level positions, and factored in the number of jobs and employers available along with the average salary, unemployment rate, and cost of living.
According to Businessweek and Greater Houston Partnership's Jeff Moseley, Houston has created 31,000 jobs since January through a private sector push, with 10,800 of those coming in May:
Although it has fewer entry-level employers posting jobs compared with New York and Washington, D.C., the city’s low unemployment rate and cost of living make it an ideal home for young people launching their careers. With 24 of the 57 biggest companies in Texas, Houston is home to big businesses, including Conoco Phillips, Halliburton, and Continental Airlines. Energy, aeronautics, and health-care companies round out the opportunities in Houston. With such attractions as the American Cowboy Museum and an active performing arts scene, those working in the city will have plenty to do in their free time, too.
(Really, Businessweek? The American Cowboy Museum? Did you just pick the first one on an alphabetical list?)
Overall, the greatest fact gleaned from the list of cities for post-grads is that the South has indeed risen again. Besides Houston, Washington D.C., Dallas, Atlanta and Austin round out the top five.
