The Wall Street Journal reports that new college grads are finding the most success finding work in "second-tier" cities like Raleigh, NC and Birmingham, AL. Technology and work from home culture has transformed the way even companies do business. As more and more firms move offices and factories away from urban centers to more affordable areas, hiring is following suit.
The 2025 study cites the best city in terms of hiring, wages, and affordability to Raleigh, NC, followed by Milwaukee, Baltimore, Austin, and Brimingham, AL. Milwaukee has experienced a huge increase in hiring, while Atlanta and Charlotte, NC fell from Top 5 status last year. Some of the worst job markets this year: Portland, OR, Hartford, CT, Riverside, CA, and Salt Lake City.
In the Northeast, New York and Boston are still top picks, but suffer due to less job availability and affordability issues. Instead, Rochester, NY has entered a boom period of hiring. The Midwest shows a lot of positions being filled in Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland, and Indianapolis. Out West, Denver and Phoenix are hiring in large numbers. And down South, add Nashville, TN to the cities already mentioned.
So college grads may not need to fret as much about finding a job, but they may have to consider how far they'd be willing to go to get one.