Flip open the employment section of your local newspaper, and you won’t see as many job listings as in years past. It can be tough finding a job in your own city, and more and more employers won’t foot the bill for relocation. 

Things are tough all over--at least it seems that way. But according to an article in PBS NewsHour, companies are hiring again, and the unemployment rate is down to 7.5 percent. Good news, but where are these new jobs? It could take weeks or months to pour over job openings all across the country searching for the best opportunities. Well, search no more. Nexxt analyzed employment and job posting data and published the results in their Q1 2013 Report, "The Top 50 Places to Find a Job & The 50 Easiet Places To Make a Hire." They have even drilled the report down to the top 10 metropolitan areas that are hiring.  

The report doesn't just give you a city and state with a line or two of information. Each city is complete with top industries that are hiring, top job titles, the easiest jobs to hire for, average salary, cost of living, unemployment rate, job posting growth, and the ratio of the unemployed in that area with the job openings availalble. This mix of information gives the big employment picture, not just a list of jobs and salary ranges. 

Topping the list is San Jose, Calif., in the heart of Silicon Valley. The information technology sector is creating a lot of jobs in the area, followed by healthcare and medical, then accounting and finance. In terms of specific job titles, employers are looking for software engineers, security guards and bank tellers. The average salary is a healthy $69,000 in a city where the a cost of living that is 52 percent above the national average. 

Bloomington, Ill., in America’s heartland, is ranked #2. Bloomington features job creation in information technology, healthcare and medical, and management and business. With job openings in business and management, project managers and business analysts are listed with java developers as the top job titles employers need to fill. At $43,000, the average salary is $26,000 lower than San Jose, and the cost of living just slightly better. The big plus—the job posting rate has increased by 52% for the same time period last year. Fast growth means more opportunity.

If you’re looking for majestic mountains and wide open spaces, third-ranked Cheyenne, Wyo., may be a good pick. Healthcare and Medical, Transportation and Logistics, and Sales and Sales Management top the list of job-creating industries. Employers in the region are looking for registered nurses, physicians, and certified nursing assistants, and salaries are about the same as in Bloomington, but with a slightly lower cost of living. With unemployment at 5.2 percent, there may be less competition for jobs.

The other seven hot metro areas for jobs are scattered around the country, offering a variety of locations and environments sure to please any job seeker. The industries creating jobs repeat in some combination in all the remaining seven metro areas as well. The infographic makes it easy to compare features according to what is most important to the job seeker. Is cost of living important? What about job growth? Is a high salary a must-have? Don’t expect a six-figure salary in these cities. Salaries range from $43,000 to a high of $69,000 for the top 10 areas. 

If these 10 cities aren’t your dream location, you can get the scoop on all 50 areas in the full report, which is offered in a downloadable PDF. Nexxt makes planning your career search easier and less time consuming by searching, compiling and analyzing employment data for you. Once you’ve narrowed down your dream location, you can customize your job search to find the right job for you.

Photo Source: Nexxt