Hottest U.S. Job Markets: Where Ohio Cities Rank

CLEVELAND — The job market in Ohio is better than some may expect, according to a new ranking by the Wall Street Journal. The 2020 rankings, which analyzed the labor market in more than 400 cities and metropolitan areas, scored Ohio cities and others based on factors such as job and wage growth.

The Wall Street Journal teamed up with Moody Analytics to evaluate data from the last year and sort the rankings into two lists — one for metro areas with more than 1 million people, and another for less-populous areas.

According to the list, cities were ranked on five metrics — unemployment rate, labor-force participation rate, job growth, labor force growth and wage growth — to determine an overall ranking.

Cincinnati ranked 11th overall among metro areas with more than 1 million residents. Last year, the city ranked 42nd overall. Cincy was the highest performing metro area in Ohio on the report.

Cincinnati was ranked in the following areas:

• Unemployment: 3.7% (34)
• Labor force participation: 66.3% (20)
• Job growth: 2.0% (20)
• Labor force growth: 2.1% (9)
• Wage growth: 4.7% (5)

Columbus ranked 18th overall among metro areas with more than 1 million residents. Last year, the city ranked 34th overall.

Columbus was ranked in the following areas:

• Unemployment: 3.6% (28)
• Labor force participation: 66.8% (19)
• Job growth: 1.1% (38)
• Labor force growth: 1.6% (15)
• Wage growth: 3.2% (19)

Cleveland (whose ranking area extends to Elyria) ranked 51st overall among metropolitan areas with more than 1 million people. Last year, the area ranked 50th overall.

Cleveland also was ranked in the following areas:

• Unemployment: 4.4% (52)
• Labor force participation: 62.7% (38)
• Job growth: 1.1% (39)
• Labor force growth: 0.4% (47)
• Wage growth: 2.3% (43)

Nationally, Austin, Texas, topped the list for the second consecutive year. Nashville, Tennessee, moved to the No. 2 spot from seventh in 2019. Both cities anchor metropolitan areas of around 2 million people.

Denver moved up in the ranks to third place from ninth in 2019. Seattle and San Francisco also moved up to round out the top five large metropolitan areas.

In areas with fewer than 1 million people, Boulder, Colorado, moved to No. 1, a significant jump from last year’s 20th place ranking. Midland, Texas, came in at No. 2.