According to September 2008 data of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), lower unemployment rates in the United States can be found in Bismarck (North Dakota). The following US cities not very affected by the recession are Casper (Wyoming), Logan (Utah) and Sioux Falls (South Dakota). All of these cities registered some of the lowest unemployment rates in September 2008, at only 2.5%.

So if you are looking to find a job during these troubled times, you can avoid the largest cities and try finding something in smaller areas. Unemployment rates were higher in most metropolitan areas surveyed. More than 90% of cities have seen an increase in their unemployment rates. The national unemployment rate in September 2008 was 6%, up 1.5% from September 2007. Continue reading »

SalesHQ provided a list, slideshow and descriptions of 30 Best Cities for Tech Sales Jobs. The well-known Californian high-tech oriented Silicon Valley close to San Jose comes on top, followed by Boulder (Colorado) and Huntsville (Alabama).

To avoid Silicon Valley’s high cost of living, consider as options other areas. Rankings is based on tech job density and include data on total jobs, growth in that total from 2005, average annual sales salary, and biggest sector in each city. Continue reading »

In their 10th annual ranking for 2008 of the Best Places for Business and Careers, Forbes Magazine finds Raleigh of North Carolina as the top city, followed by Boise (Idaho) and Fort Collins (Colorado).

The rankings cover 200 largest metro areas and are based on nine factors. Among the considered factors of the survey, for these business-welcoming metros: low business costs, a solid job growth and an educated labor supply. Six of the 10 metro areas are around capital cities. For a third straight year, the Southeast is home to half of the top 10. Continue reading »

A September 2008 issue of Canadian Business Magazine published recently a survey for the best Canadian cities for business.

While most would expect western cities to do well, eastern towns and especially some of Quebec’s province seem to do better. While there are still plenty of opportunities in Western Canada, in Alberta’s oil sands or in British Columbia’s construction sector, it looks like the three cities of Quebec that top the list (Sherbrooke, Lévis and its neighbor across the river, Québec City) come surprisingly with better chances. As always, the bilingual laws of Quebec may raise some obstacles, but truth is plenty of research centres and technology parks are booming in Eastern Canada. Continue reading »