Looking For A New Job? These Are The Best States To Find Employment In 2021

Written by Chris Illuminati on June 15, 2021

It feels as though 2021 might go down as the year everyone found new jobs but which are the best states to find employment? A new batch of data might have the answer.

Job hunting is never easy and all of the online searching, updating résumés, interview prepping and Zoom interviews make looking for a job feel like a job. The degree of difficulty increases for those living in areas where jobs are scarce, especially after the pandemic.

If you’re lucky enough to live in one of the best states to find employment, job offers might be falling in your lap.

Unfortunately, millions of people don’t live anywhere close to these burgeoning job markets.

To determine the most attractive states for employment, WalletHub compared data from all 50 states measuring 35 key indicators of job-market strength, opportunity, and a healthy economy and found the worst and best states to find employment in 2021.

Best States for Jobs in 2021

1. South Dakota
2. Nebraska
3. Washington
4. New Hampshire
5. Utah
6. North Dakota
7. Kansas
8. Vermont
9. Delaware
10. Colorado

While those ten states top the list, these ten states landed at the very bottom of the data.

Worst States for Jobs In 2021

41. Nevada
42. Michigan
43. New Mexico
44. Illinois
45. Mississippi
46. Hawaii
47. Louisiana
48. Pennsylvania
49. West Virginia
50. Kentucky

Here are more key findings from the study.

Best vs. Worst

Washington has the highest monthly average starting salary, $3,734, which is 1.9 times higher than in Alaska, the lowest at $1,970.
Nebraska has the lowest unemployment rate, 2.80 percent, which is 3.1 times lower than in Hawaii, the highest at 8.70 percent.
Maryland has the fewest part-time employees per 100 full-time employees, 39.86, which is 1.6 times fewer than in Alaska, the most at 64.60.
New Hampshire has the lowest share of workers living in poverty, 3.37 percent, which is 2.9 times lower than in New Mexico, the highest at 9.84 percent.

To view the full report and your state rank, check out the WalletHub website.

To read more great studies conducted by WalletHub, check out the best states to find summer employment, the worst states for Millennials, and the best cities to start a new career in 2021.