Posted by: Adam McCann

Job hunting is never easy. Between searching for employment openings, updating résumés, contacting references and preparing for interviews, it’s hard work. Luckily, the number of opportunities available is growing, with over 164,000 new jobs added in April 2018 alone and the unemployment rate at the lowest it’s been since 2000.

But finding a job can be even harder when you don’t know where to begin looking for work, which is why narrowing your search area can be important. And because that part requires a bit of research, WalletHub did the homework to help you focus on the most important task: finding your dream position in a place you’ll love.

In order therefore to determine the most attractive states for employment, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 29 key indicators of job-market strength, opportunity and a healthy economy. Our data set ranges from employment growth to median annual income to average commute time. Read on for our findings, methodology and insight from a panel of researchers.

For a more local breakdown of the job market, check out WalletHub’s ranking of the Best Places to Find a Job.

1. Main Findings
2. Ask the Experts
3. Methodology

Main Findings

Embed on your website<iframe src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/35641/geochart-statejobs.html" width="556" height="347" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div style="width:556px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="https://ift.tt/2H6dMLa>  

Best States for Jobs

Overall Rank (1 = Best)	State	Total Score	‘Job Market’ Rank	‘Economic Environment’ Rank
1	Washington	71.45	7	1
2	Colorado	70.04	1	19
3	Minnesota	65.13	4	18
4	Utah	64.00	2	21
5	New Hampshire	62.41	15	9
6	Tennessee	61.84	14	10
7	Vermont	61.34	16	11
8	Massachusetts	61.23	5	29
9	Florida	60.67	17	13
10	Texas	59.96	25	6
11	Nebraska	59.74	20	16
12	North Dakota	59.59	30	3
13	South Dakota	59.21	26	7
14	New Jersey	59.14	31	4
15	Nevada	59.13	22	14
16	Wisconsin	59.13	8	27
17	California	58.81	10	26
18	Virginia	58.42	9	30
19	Maryland	57.79	3	40
20	Delaware	57.73	24	17
21	Rhode Island	57.35	27	15
22	Kansas	57.13	35	8
23	Connecticut	56.97	32	12
24	Maine	56.84	12	33
25	Arizona	56.36	19	28
26	Iowa	56.06	21	23
27	Idaho	55.85	13	37
28	New York	53.80	23	31
29	Oregon	53.08	6	48
30	Georgia	52.72	11	44
31	Illinois	51.81	40	20
32	Hawaii	50.09	18	45
33	Indiana	49.80	33	38
34	Michigan	49.79	36	34
35	Montana	49.16	43	24
36	Missouri	49.13	34	39
37	Ohio	48.93	38	36
38	South Carolina	48.60	39	35
39	Oklahoma	48.00	44	25
40	Arkansas	47.88	28	43
41	Wyoming	47.06	49	2
42	North Carolina	46.41	29	46
43	New Mexico	44.60	46	22
44	Alaska	44.05	50	5
45	Alabama	43.52	42	42
46	Pennsylvania	41.94	41	47
47	Louisiana	41.38	47	32
48	Kentucky	40.18	37	50
49	Mississippi	39.92	45	41
50	West Virginia	33.61	48	49

 

Ask the Experts

The future of U.S. jobs relies on many factors, including policy and innovation. To gauge the possible effects of each and find ways to strengthen the economy, we asked a panel of experts to share their thoughts on the following key questions:

1. What types of jobs do you think are most threatened by automation/the rise of robots? What jobs are least threatened?
2. What policies can the Trump administration pursue to make good on its promise to increase jobs in coal and manufacturing?
3. What fields are expected to experience the highest rate of job growth in the next 10 years?
4. How much longer will the job report continue to show growth?
5. How can local policymakers help diversify and strengthen local economies?
6. Are there any models that have proven successful for retraining displaced workers?

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• Toni A. Higgs Director of the Career Resource Center at Jacksonville University
• Steven Glazer Professor of Economics at Norwalk Community College
• Sarah H. Bana Ph.D. Candidate in Economics at University of California, Santa Barbara
• Stan Gully Professor of HRM in the School of Labor and Employment Relations at Pennsylvania State University
• Sara Haviland Senior Researcher in the Education and Employment Research Center at Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations
• Russ Coughenour Assistant Vice President of Career Services at The University of South Florida
• Rick Roberts Director of the Career Services at University of North Florida
• Neil Meredith Dana Professor of Business and Assistant Professor of Economics at West Texas A&M University
• Gordon Walter Adjunct Instructor in the School of Business at Washburn University
• Dianna Cundiff Associate Director of the Center for Career Development at University of Evansville
• Dave Ulrich Rensis Likert Professor of Business in the Ross School of Business at University of Michigan and Partner at the RBL Group
• Craig Kerr Professor at California State Polytechnic University at Pomona

Toni A. Higgs Director of the Career Resource Center at Jacksonville University What fields are expected to experience the highest rate of job growth in the next 10 years? I recently reviewed the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity to identify jobs which will be the “Hot jobs” in Florida over the next 10 to 15 years. The criteria according to the FDEO for this designation is “job growing faster than the average for all occupations and have at least 50 annual openings… .” We utilize this information to help our students identify areas of opportunities when considering the all-important decision on what field of study to choose. There was no surprise that 11 of the top 20 are in the Health care field with Nurse Practitioners capturing the top spot. The Health Care Industry is currently and will continue to be in demand. I recently spoke to a group of second degree seeking students who are beginning their second careers in the Nursing profession. I asked why nursing? The answer was always, “Because I know I will be able to get a job and the pay is good.” Other areas in high demand and will continue to grow are in the field of computer science, specifically in fields such as cybersecurity and web development. In the Career Resource Center we track the Employers requests as they seek students to fill internships and current job openings. As we sift through the numerous requests, the top spot goes to Marketing/Social Media positions followed closely by Analyst, Engineers, Web design/management, and Sales positions. Analyzing big data whether it be in the health field or in business is currently in demand and will continue to grow over the next 10 years. I was speaking with a high-level executive in the Finance industry a week ago and he mentioned they cannot find enough applicants to fill open positions in entry level management. I expect this industry to continue to grow to a “hot job” over the next 10 years. Steven Glazer Professor of Economics at Norwalk Community College What types of jobs do you think are most threatened by automation/the rise of robots? What jobs are least threatened? It is very difficult to predict which specific jobs are threatened due to automation, since technology is advancing by leaps and bounds and causing the displacement of workers in numerous industries. Recent reports have shown that millions of retail jobs may be lost along with baggage handlers due to automation. However, as some of these jobs are lost, as we have evidenced in the past, new jobs will come into existence. What needs to occur is ensuring that the number of new jobs created will outweigh the numbers of positions lost. What policies can the Trump administration pursue to make good on their promise of increasing jobs in coal and manufacturing? To help increase jobs in any industry, whether it be coal and manufacturing, or any industry for that matter, the key is providing incentives to the companies to want to encourage them to keep their production in the nation and then expand their production domestically. One of the tried and true methods to accomplish this is through financial incentives, whether it be tax cuts, as the administration has discussed, or some other form of financial benefit provided to these companies. What fields are expected to experience the highest rate of job growth in the next 10 years? This is never easy to predict, but one of the areas that has been cited often over the past several years and continues to be cited by agencies like the Bureau of Labor Statistics has been healthcare-related jobs, reflecting the longer life expectancy of the population and the increased needs people have for this as they age. How can local policymakers help diversify and strengthen local economies? This depends upon the community. Are there any models for re-training displaced workers that have proven successful? A number of articles have come out indicating that job re-training programs are not successful. Many of these programs have been geared to individuals who have lost jobs in manufacturing and other industries where the jobs have been relocated into burgeoning fields, like health care. The country has a great resource in institutions like community colleges which have such programs available to these displaced individuals at a reduced cost. As technological advancements occur, and workers’ skills may no longer be needed, this is a viable option that should be relied upon to help individuals secure employment and maintain their standard of living. Sarah H. Bana Ph.D. Candidate in Economics at University of California, Santa Barbara What types of jobs do you think are most threatened by automation/the rise of robots? What jobs are least threatened? Occupations that comprise of mostly routine tasks are at greatest risk. Put differently, the more your occupation can be codified, the easier it is to build those rules into a machine that can do your job for you. Occupations that require the most creativity, occupations in which success is more difficult to measure, and occupations that take advantage of the massive influx of data now collected are less threatened. What policies can the Trump administration pursue to make good on their promise of increasing jobs in coal and manufacturing? In general, policy prescriptions to increase low-skilled jobs in coal and manufacturing will be short-term fixes, bandages for a greater problem. The manufacturing sector in the United States is becoming leaner, using industrial robots and high skilled workers to produce more with fewer workers. What fields are expected to experience the highest rate of job growth in the next 10 years? Fields that take advantage of the aging population in our country, such as healthcare, are likely to experience job growth. Fields that take advantage of new data to improve processes and make better decisions will experience rapid growth. Some examples of these fields include data science, genomics, precision agriculture, cybersecurity, and urban planning and development. Are there any models for re-training displaced workers that have proven successful? There is evidence that training in more technically oriented fields, such as math or science, or training in healthcare fields have had greater success, and have been able to better offset earnings losses. Retraining is costly, and currently, government programs do not adequately support long-term, high-return training. If displaced workers are liquidity constrained, this is a problem that limits our understanding of the potential benefits of retraining. Stan Gully Professor of HRM in the School of Labor and Employment Relations at Pennsylvania State University What policies can the Trump administration pursue to make good on their promise of increasing jobs in coal and manufacturing? The forces at play that are reducing jobs in these sectors cannot be stopped by policy decisions. You couldn’t have used policy to stop the loss of jobs in horse carriage manufacturing once automobiles hit the scene. Likewise, you couldn’t have saved typewriter manufacturing jobs with policy once computers arrived. It is true that some manufacturing jobs are being outsourced but the greater threat for the future is automation. Even overseas, where the jobs are outsourced, automation is replacing workers in manufacturing jobs of all types. Renegotiating trade agreements will not replace jobs lost to technology and automation. In a similar sense, some coal jobs will never return because of cheaper alternative sources of energy and these alternative sources are generating new jobs. Coal is dropping in demand because there are increasing sources of cheap, clean energy that don’t require combustion of coal. Removing environmental protections for streams and rivers to jump start the coal industry won’t bring back the jobs because their loss is due to cheap and clean energy alternatives. The best that can be done to save jobs in the coal industry is to invest in science and research on clean coal technologies to keep demand higher for coal as a source of clean energy. Another alternative is to recognize that these forces are not going to subside. Policymakers could invest in reskilling people who formerly worked in the coal and manufacturing industries to enable them to do new and different types of work. For example, this is an interesting story about Appalachian miners learning to code. What types of jobs do you think are most threatened by automation/the rise of robots? What jobs are least threatened? In the near future we will see automation continue to replace jobs involving warehouse work, basic manufacturing (e.g., welding, drilling, etc.), packaging, and food preparation. However, autonomous vehicles will begin to replace taxi drivers as well as drivers for Uber, Lyft, and other such occupations. It’s a short step from that to trucking and delivery services. Very soon, transportation will become highly automated. All jobs are facing the potential for automation. Machines and algorithms do most of the trading on Wall Street. Air Force Top Gun pilots were beaten by AI running on a $35 Raspberry Pi computer. Most recently, Google’s AlphaGo beat a top ranked Go player. This is an impressive feat because you can’t simply program all the moves into a computer due to the nearly infinite combination of possible moves. We can see machine learning is taking over tasks that require deep levels of human expertise. However, many jobs requiring human expertise and creativity are relatively safe because they are the least threatened in the near future. Jobs that involve creation and implementation of technology at a deep level will remain robust in demand for the foreseeable future. Interestingly, I think certain jobs such as masonry, plumbing, electrical work, etc. will be safe until we can create robots capable enough to replace us. But that won’t be for a while. What fields are expected to experience the highest rate of job growth in the next 10 years? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, many health oriented service jobs (e.g., medical assistants, personal care aides, registered nurses, home health aides) are expected to show robust growth between now and 2024. As an aside, many of these jobs will not easily be automated until robots have reached a higher level of flexible implementation. Robots are currently effective for clear, programmable, routine tasks but these other types of jobs will require robots that have increased artificial intelligence and more humanlike dexterity. Robots are building such capabilities at an exponential rate but we are not there yet. My understanding, however, is that increasing numbers of people are entering some of these fields, potentially creating an excess of labor supply for such workers in the future (e.g., physician assistants, physical therapy, etc.). Also, scientific and technology based jobs are expected to grow and remain in demand with a shortage in the supply of talent for these fields. How can local policymakers help diversify and strengthen local economies? Policymakers frequently seem to hesitate to genuinely support education and reskilling of the workforce. However, the world is evolving at an exponential rate. To stay relevant, all workers need to evolve their skill sets and competencies. We also need to be prepared for the idea that our occupations may become less relevant or automated as technology changes the way work gets accomplished. I think about that issue in higher education all the time. If we want economies to stay strong, we need people to have spending power. This comes from healthy occupational employment for members of that community. This does not mean that people have to work two or three part time jobs at minimum wage to make ends meet. We have to think carefully about where opportunities for job growth exist and support learning, education, and reskilling of the workforce to meet the demands and opportunities of this growth. People who are working 50 hours in multiple jobs to pay the bills don’t have time to get reskilled for the future. Policymakers can help by providing support and opportunity for such reskilling. Are there any models for re-training displaced workers that have proven successful? I like the story of reskilling miners for technology jobs. I am uncertain about how successful it has been but press is generally positive. Note that the 22-week training took place with a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. This is precisely what I mean when I say policymakers can provide support and opportunity for reskilling. Pittsburgh is an example of a place that was built around steel and manufacturing but after these industries faded in the 1980s, Pittsburgh went through a kind of revitalization. Some people have argued that Pittsburgh’s revitalization is because of investments in the medical schools and technology research programs in the Pittsburgh areas in the 1960s and 1970s. Also, philanthropic investments by the wealthy have helped. Ultimately, however, Pittsburgh had to reinvent itself along with the jobs it could offer people in the community. Sara Haviland Senior Researcher in the Education and Employment Research Center at Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations What types of jobs do you think are most threatened by automation/the rise of robots? What jobs are least threatened? Automation has been occurring for centuries, and our world is constantly being shaped and reshaped by technological advancement that seemed previously unimaginable. It is therefore difficult to predict with much certainty which jobs are future-proof and which are at great risk; plenty of jobs that once seemed irreplaceable have gone on to history’s graveyard. When we discuss automation, we can only address current and near-future technology with any level of confidence. It is important to note that we do not automate jobs per se, but rather tasks. A job that is comprised of many tasks may see part of its work go to machines, but that may increase other tasks or add new tasks to facilitate these machines. In short, the job may change rather than go away. That said, automation is currently best at addressing tasks that require strength, or are routine or repetitive, and are easily addressed with computer codes. Tasks that are physically unpleasant or dangerous attract a lot of attention from automation innovators. This is why we see the automation of tasks in many factories. We see less automation in tasks that require tacit knowledge, or high interpersonal skills. A medication dispensing machine may give a nurse the proper dose of medications to dispense to a patient, automating one task of the job, but that nurse is the one that notices that Mr. Jones in Bed 3 is acting a little off today and may need further medical attention. The safest jobs today are likely in care work, be it through health care, child care, or elder care; though tasks within those jobs will likely continue to be automated (e.g., the medication dispensing machine), there are fewer tasks in those jobs that we have the capacity to replace with technology right now. What policies can the Trump administration pursue to make good on their promise of increasing jobs in coal and manufacturing? One major strategy that the administration can deploy is to expand support for training and education. Today’s manufacturing shops are evolving toward higher skilled tasks for workers, a process that will continue as automation removes the more repetitive or physically demanding processes from human hands. The machinery involved can be costly, and employers want to see workers who have the skills to operate their equipment effectively and without making costly mistakes. In short, employers want more skilled operators. In our research with manufacturing, we often hear employers say that there are not enough skilled workers to meet their demand. This has implications for their abilities to expand operations, and may ultimately hinder growth or make the operations vulnerable to relocation. The specialized training for these jobs often takes 1-2 years, and the positions that they prepare for often translate to solidly middle class incomes. Better still, training programs with an eye to the future can create stackable credentials so that individuals who complete that 1-2 year training can return in the future well on their way to college degrees. In this ideal model, workers have more options, should the needs of the industry change, or should they decide to move toward the business and management side of the operations. Providing support for this model has great potential to not only place workers in the near term, but to help them in the long term as well. What fields are expected to experience the highest rate of job growth in the next 10 years? The safe bet is on healthcare occupations. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks this data and regularly publishes employment projections on their website; 4 out of 5 of their projected fastest growth jobs are in direct care work (occupational therapy assistants, physical therapist assistants, physical therapist aides, and home health aides). It is important here to remember that high growth rates do not necessarily translate to large fields of open jobs, as a tiny field such as wind turbine service technicians will likely more than double in the next decade (high growth rate), but for every one new job in that field, home health aides will see 72 new jobs. Considering the sheer volume of jobs projected to enter the economy, health care has the potential to be massive. There are several factors at play here, but largely we can attribute this increase to our rapidly aging population and our rapidly improving medical advances. As a society, we live longer but with more long-term conditions that require ongoing management and support. One important caveat: as the future of the Affordable Care Act and its possible replacements remain unclear at this moment, there are great implications for how care will be delivered. Just as an example, we may see decreased supports for in-home managed care, which would change the projections for home health aides. The ACA also changed some elements of how the health profession is paid, emphasizing health outcomes as opposed to health procedures. This increased opportunities for new classes of public health work such as community health workers, who serve as intermediaries between the health care system and the community; further changes could remove this fledgling field, or create new fields entirely. How can local policymakers help diversify and strengthen local economies? K-12, higher education, the workforce development system, and employers often operate in silos. Finding meaningful ways to bridge these institutions can strengthen the local workforce, improving the area’s capacity to attract growth industries with good jobs. Sector strategies are one way that state and local areas are doing this. Sector strategies are industry focused partnerships that bring employers, government, education, training, economic development, labor, and community organizations together to focus on the workforce, education, and training needs in a particular industry in a regional labor market. This strategy can be used at both the state and local level. Sector strategies can address current and future skill needs. They provide a means to engage with industry across traditionally defined town, county or state boundaries. They can also be a mechanism to better align and use programs and resources, reducing inefficiencies. Are there any models for re-training displaced workers that have proven successful? The Department of Labor’s Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grant Program (TAACCCT), which is drawing to a close, seeks to create programs that can place displaced workers into growth jobs with stable pay through training programs that could be completed in 2 years or less. In its four year run it touched 60% of U.S. community colleges, offering an opportunity to assess what works (and what doesn’t). Though programs are still in the process of implementation and therefore any findings are preliminary, some factors that have great promise include:

• A high-touch model of advising. Career navigators, job developers, and career coaches are part of an arsenal of college professionals offering intensive advising services to help students from recruitment up to job placement.

• Modularized curricula, stackable credentials. Breaking programs down into elements that nest into further certificates and degrees creates on and off ramps that can make schooling more manageable for adult learners.

• Employer engagement. Partnering with local industry groups and employers helps schools to create curriculum that meets employers’ needs, and creates opportunities for employers to meet and recruit students.

• Sector Strategies as discussed above.

Russ Coughenour Assistant Vice President of Career Services at The University of South Florida What types of jobs do you think are most threatened by automation/the rise of robots? What jobs are least threatened? I would have to say Accounting is somewhat threatened by advancements in technology and software. Of course, jobs in manufacturing are being replaced by advances in robotics, but that has been happening for years now. I also think retail is in serious trouble. We’ve seen recent news reports of declines in employment in retail and that is due to the growth in online (technology) retailing. What policies can the Trump administration pursue to make good on their promise of increasing jobs in coal and manufacturing? I would say to incentivize the oil companies to start promoting coal as a viable source of energy again. Problem is coal is viewed as dirty and an environmental hazard and it is hard to get. Environmentalists don’t like certain types of mining processes, so coal is complicated. Taxing imports into the U.S. would likely keep manufacturing jobs here in the States. If there was an equal playing field in terms of prices for manufactured goods in the U.S., I think we could successfully compete. But allowing companies to send manufacturing jobs to Mexico (and elsewhere) where labor is a lot less expensive and then not taxing those goods/services coming back into the U.S. seems a real issue and really just not fair. What fields are expected to experience the highest rate of job growth in the next 10 years? Anything to do with data analysis. Companies have more data than they can sift through, so business analysts, data analysts, healthcare informatics and any job that uses data driven decision making will grow. Cybersecurity is exploding and will continue to explode, as companies today cannot find enough talent to fill their needs for securing the data being gathered. Supply chain, nursing and engineering related disciplines all have excellent supply and demand numbers working in their favor. In other words, demand is high for these types of skills while supply is moderate to low. How can local policymakers help diversify and strengthen local economies? Encouraging or incentivizing a broad range of employment options in the community and not just one industry. Communities have to hedge their bets against recessions so that a downturn in say “manufacturing” doesn’t impact the local community disproportionality. I think of some of the rust belt cities like Lansing or Flint, Michigan that were so heavily invested in the automobile manufacturing industry that when times got bad, they couldn’t recover. I think smart cities of the future leverage against that by incentivizing a variety of workplace options and industries. Are there any models for re-training displaced workers that have proven successful? There are two answers here, one for degreed people and one for non-degreed people. We are seeing a lot of action in the “coding” industry for recent graduates from all majors. Companies are providing “boot camps” for critical skills training and then offering job opportunities for the boot camp graduates. Large, fortune 500 types are using these companies to source candidates with specifically designed coding skill sets for their company and industry. For the non-degreed, each community has various types of retraining incentives through local technical schools and trade schools and others that can be very effective. Many times employers are incentivized by sourcing candidates through these retraining programs which helps put marginally skilled workers back on the job. Rick Roberts Director of the Career Services at University of North Florida What types of jobs do you think are most threatened by automation/the rise of robots? What jobs are least threatened? Most of the manufacturing jobs (assembly lines, auto, etc.) have been taken over by automation and robots. The Service Industry (health care, counseling, social services, physical therapy, etc.) are lease threatened since it is difficult for a robot to provide this type of personal care. What policies can the Trump administration pursue to make good on their promise of increasing jobs in coal and manufacturing? Doing what he is doing -- taking away all of the environmental regulations and policies so that industries can burn coal and other cheaper forms of energy. Manufacturing is much more difficult. In the U.S., a company would pay its manufacturing workers $30 per hour and in Mexico they can pay them $3 per hour -- a huge difference. I don’t think any policy can change that fact. He can give lots of tax breaks and incentives to the companies to encourage them to stay or come back to the U.S., and maybe those incentives could make up the difference in salaries/wages. What fields are expected to experience the highest rate of job growth in the next 10 years? Health care for sure. With 76 million baby boomers hitting retirement age, there will be increased need for health care. As health care costs rise, work will increasingly be delegated to lower paid workers. Tasks previously performed by doctors, nurses, dentists, or other health care professionals will be performed by physician assistants, medical assistants, physical therapist aides, etc. Home health care workers will also see an increase as an alternative to hospitals and residential facilities. Other occupations to grow: Interpreters and translators; trades people: electricians, brickmasons, stonemasons, etc., information security analysts and experts; occupational therapists, semiconductor and computer manufacturing, computer engineering. How can local policymakers help diversify and strengthen local economies? I guess this would be the same as on the Federal Level -- tax breaks and incentives for companies coming into the local area. Are there any models for re-training displaced workers that have proven successful? I work mostly with college students who are heading into first careers -- so I don’t work with displaced workers at all. Our Community College is more likely to help these people. Also, WorkSource is another resource for workers seeking to rejoin the workforce. Neil Meredith Dana Professor of Business and Assistant Professor of Economics at West Texas A&M University What types of jobs do you think are most threatened by automation/the rise of robots? What jobs are least threatened? In my opinion, jobs that are most threatened by automation and robots are those that consist either exclusively or primarily of routine tasks that are repetitive and do not vary. For example, covering a candy bar with a wrapper is repetitive and does not vary. A worker on a candy assembly line who only wraps the candy bars is likely to be replaced by automation or robots. Jobs that are least threatened by automation and robots are those that significantly consist of tasks that require human intuition, creativity, and/or critical thinking. For example, a marketing manager for a company may have to critically evaluate several aspects of a marketing strategy before deciding how to best develop and market a particular product to appeal to consumers and raise sales. A robot or even artificial intelligence may have exceptional difficulty evaluating all of the specific critical thinking and analysis aspects, including insights into human behavior, required for such a nuanced task. What fields are expected to experience the highest rate of job growth in the next 10 years? One field that is expected to have a high rate of growth in the next 10 years is health care. Baby Boomers are increasingly aging, increasingly becoming eligible for Medicare, and increasingly requiring more care, which should boost demand for health care services. Also, Baby Boomers working in health care are retiring, which could significantly reduce the supply of care. The combination of increased demand and decreased supply should put pressure on wages in health care to rise significantly and make working in health care more attractive. How can local policymakers help diversify and strengthen local economies? Local policymakers can help create conditions where business can thrive by making it relatively easy to start businesses and grow. As a specific example, local policymakers could evaluate the process for getting a business license and simplify it. To encourage growth, local policymakers could create a favorable investment environment by eliminating unnecessary regulations. Policymakers could also make it abundantly known that they are business friendly. Gordon Walter Adjunct Instructor in the School of Business at Washburn University What types of jobs do you think are most threatened by automation/the rise of robots? What jobs are least threatened? Most threatened: Lower-level, non-technical sales professionals. It used to be that automobile buyers had to go through an automotive dealership to purchase a new car. But now, in this new millennium, with organizations like CarMax, AutoTrader, TrueCar, etc., auto buyers can find out at least as much about cars available for sale online as they could from a dealer. Just as the role of a dealer’s sales representative is shrinking, many other inside sales positions are also becoming automated. Positions, where people were employed to contact clients and take orders by telephone, are being supplanted by robots. These machines, with the help of artificial intelligence, can respond to answers of basic yes/no questions and inquiries seeking more information. Paralegal and Administrative Assistant Positions. Work that used to be done by paralegals and some administrative assistants can now be done much faster by data-mining algorithms. Again, Artificial Intelligence and robotics has come to the front office. Even smaller law firms and support functions can now afford to utilize systems and software to do high-volume process work. Least Threatened: Teacher/Trainers. At its core, teaching requires significant expertise and complex interactions with other people, and make subjective decisions regarding performance, which is difficult to automate. This is not to say that technology will not have an impact on the teaching profession. Technology has already greatly increased the reach and scope that an individual teacher has, which permits him/her to handle more students across ever-greater geographies (e.g., online learning). What policies can the Trump administration pursue to make good on their promise of increasing jobs in coal and manufacturing? Simplify taxes and protect fair trade laws and policy along with stronger energy and infrastructure policies and more focused training/education. In addition, I believe employers also want science, technology, and innovation policies that promote the use of technology and a level playing field. What fields are expected to experience the highest rate of job growth in the next 10 years? Those fields that serve the rapidly aging Baby Boomer population, including health care (especially technician and physical therapy positions). Other positions include those that help people with home-related assistance, including technology/software installation/maintenance and routine home repair/maintenance. How can local policymakers help diversify and strengthen local economies? I believe that the more autonomy and freedoms to chart the destiny of the local economy, the better-off most entities will be. Are there any models for re-training displaced workers that have proven successful? I favor locally managed/operated programs that have significant online components, allow participants to work at their own pace, but also build incentives for successful completion into the system. When participants are rewarded for successful completion of each module; the skills have direct application to specific positions or fields, and successful completion has a direct link to employment, the program is most successful. Dianna Cundiff Associate Director of the Center for Career Development at University of Evansville What types of jobs do you think are most threatened by automation/the rise of robots? What jobs are least threatened? In the past, the largest area in which employees tended to be displaced was within the manufacturing setting. However, we are beginning to see the use of robots in many other fields, such as food service (think automated order kiosks in restaurants rather than friendly wait staff), retail, healthcare, and even military and other protective services. In some ways, the use of robots makes processes more efficient, and in some cases, much safer. At UE, a team of engineering students have developed a fire fighting robot. The robot is programed to locate and extinguish fires in a given space. The idea is that in the future, the robots could be utilized to put out household fires before they cause significant injury to the occupants or damage to the property. The jobs that I feel are least threatened are the careers that involve people -- counselors, lawyers, teachers. Computers and robots can be programed to do any number of tasks, but (at least for now) they don’t have the ability to understand emotion and human nature. Also, the many creative jobs that exist simply cannot be done by robots. Writer, artists, musicians, dancers -- we need the human imagination in those careers. What fields are expected to experience the highest rate of job growth in the next 10 years? Many fields are in a growth pattern, with healthcare at the top of the heap, due in part to America’s aging population. The baby-boomers, those 65 and older, are projected to nearly double in the next three decades, according to the National Institute on Aging Census Bureau. When we look at the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 13 of the top 20 fastest growing occupations are health related. There is also substantial projected growth in the data sciences. The need to not only collect data, but to analyze, interpret, and utilize that information in problem-solving and decision making has become increasingly important. One important way that students can make themselves marketable in the field is to get a well-rounded education. Yes, learn how to collect and interpret data, but also learn how to work with a team and communicate that information appropriately within the organization. How can local policymakers help diversify and strengthen local economies? Invest in education at all levels! Provide better and easier access to technology. Education is the foundation and the key to strengthening, not only our economy, but our society. By investing in education, communities are supporting and developing our number one resource, people. Are there any models for re-training displaced workers that have proven successful? Access to education and training programs is critical for displaced workers. Certificate or apprenticeship programs, community colleges, and universities all offer courses or degrees that can support the development of the skills necessary for today’s workforce. There are several government programs, including Vocational Rehabilitation Services, which assists U.S. veterans in finding employment. Following a multi-faceted model may provide the best outcomes for displaced workers. A displaced worker may need more than just help finding another job. He/she may need assistance in coping with a job loss or change. They may need help identifying their skills and interests, and then choosing a job or career path that suits them. Helping clients discover training or educational programs is also important. And finally, assisting them with the job search itself. Dave Ulrich Rensis Likert Professor of Business in the Ross School of Business at University of Michigan and Partner at the RBL Group What types of jobs do you think are most threatened by automation/the rise of robots? What jobs are least threatened? Robots and automation, in today’s world, perform routine, automated, and repetitive tasks (e.g., assembly line manufacturing, processing tasks like payroll or retail check out, or other routine tasks). Today, tasks requiring judgment are better made by people. As information is cheaper culminating in artificial intelligence, many traditional “judgment” jobs are at risk. Computers defeating human chess masters is an example of increased data processing. As this processing continues to multiple (e.g., driverless cars), more judgment jobs will be automated. Jobs least likely to be automated are those required divergent, not linear thinking. What policies can the Trump administration pursue to make good on their promise of increasing jobs in coal and manufacturing? Government does not create private sector jobs, but can encourage the right investments in future jobs. In coal or manufacturing jobs, there is often a “U” shape. At the top left is the R&D, design, and engineering work requiring human judgment and insight based on advanced training. At the bottom of the “U” are the operational coal and manufacturing jobs. These jobs are likely to be outsourced to cheaper labor markets or automated. At the top right of the “U” are the branding, distribution, and market facing jobs. These again require innovative thinking not easily automated. Government promises of policies to secure traditional operational jobs is like eating chocolate to lose weight. It won’t happen and is a false positive. Government policies could encourage new training opportunities to prepare for the top left or top right of the “U.” What fields are expected to experience the highest rate of job growth in the next 10 years? I envision three types of future jobs. First, employees will build the information systems that enable robotics and artificial intelligence. These will be coders and AI individuals in growth niches, e.g., internet security. Second, employees continue to be required in relationship jobs (e.g., nurses, service workers) where connections and creativity matter (teachers, entertainers). Third, employees will be required in knowledge judgment jobs where information is commercialized and turned into action. How can local policymakers help diversify and strengthen local economies? When there is collaboration between government, labor/industry, and academic, decisions can be made to help strengthen local and federal economies. Government policies on tax and regulation; industrial investments in customers and markets; academic efforts in preparing employees; and labor commitment to a secure and stable work force may work together to target an industry. This collaboration could be in a local area (Silicon Valley; New Jersey with pharmaceuticals; Western Michigan with furniture; etc.). Are there any models for re-training displaced workers that have proven successful? The idealized model is not as complicated as the commitment of the displaced individual to relearn and reprepare. If a displaced employee desires to upgrade skills, programs can be created that include formal training and informal experience (e.g., a manufacturing assembly line worker can become a nurse). But, if the displaced employee is not willing or able to make this professional transition, training will be unlikely to work. Craig Kerr Professor at California State Polytechnic University at Pomona What types of jobs do you think are most threatened by automation/the rise of robots? What jobs are least threatened? It depends on how fast driver-less cars and trucks can be a legal reality. Those robots have the potential to do the most damage in terms of the number of jobs that will be replaced with robots. In the more immediate future, I would think any cashier job should be replaced. We're used to seeing automatic checkouts at grocery stores but they are starting to appear at fast food restaurants like Panera and McDonalds. You can order a coffee from your Starbucks app before getting out of bed, walk into your neighborhood cafe and pick it up without talking to anyone. The only problem there is you just paid $5 for coffee but that's another issue. Amazon has an experimental convenient store with no humans at all. The purchases are tracked via sensors and the customers are charged without ever scanning an item. What policies can the Trump administration pursue to make good on their promise of increasing jobs in coal and manufacturing? I cannot speak to the coal industry specifically. As for manufacturing jobs, one main reason they left the United States is that the American worker is too expensive relative to his/her substitutes (machines and foreign workers). Companies want to maximize profits and they're not going to employ American workers if there's a cheaper option that can get the job done. Chinese and Mexican workers are still far cheaper than the American worker but all of these workers are simultaneously competing with automation. A good thought experiment is to imagine a robot that is a carbon copy of a worker from the U.S. (I know these don't exist currently, but the example is still valid). If a company hires the robot version of the worker, it doesn't have to pay payroll tax or health insurance. It doesn't have to worry about workers' compensation lawsuits or sensitivity training. It doesn't even have to pay overtime. Historically, such a robot would still be more expensive than the human worker. But the price tag on robots are decreasing while that of the American workers are increasing every time we put more regulation on employment. What policy can the government enact to bring back any jobs? It can stop making the U.S. worker artificially expensive. If you tax a good or service, less of it will be purchased. Since we tax the employment of labor via income taxes, payroll taxes, required health insurance, etc., we have less labor services employed than we otherwise would have. These taxes make foreign labor and automation relatively cheaper options. So my suggestion has been, and always will be, to lower or remove these taxes on workers. The government puts all these taxes and additional costs on labor, which lowers employment, and then tries to find ways to spend the money to increase employment. It's an inefficient mess. That being said, automation has already permanently replaced many of the jobs that left, so some of those jobs will never be coming home. How can local policymakers help diversify and strengthen local economies? The main tool policymakers have in encouraging and discouraging business is taxes and regulations. It's common for localities to offer tax holidays (period of time where a new business is not taxed locally) to attract business. Ideally, you have recession resistant industries for safety like education and medicine with a mix of cyclical industries like Information/Technology (IT). But if you have too many eggs in a cyclical basket, like my hometown Wilmington, Ohio did with the large shipping hub that employed most of the labor force, your locality will suffer greatly when a recession hits. Are there any models for re-training displaced workers that have proven successful? Not that I am aware of, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. The Department of Labor has resources for such things, though. You may want to check with an Economist there.

Methodology

In order to determine the best states for jobs, WalletHub compared the 50 states across two key dimensions, Job Market and Economic Environment. We assigned a heavier weight to the former, considering the factors in that category most heavily influence a job seeker’s decision in terms of relocation for employment.

We evaluated the two dimensions using 29 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for job seekers.

We then determined each state’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores rank-order our sample.

Job Market – Total Points: 60

• Job Opportunities: Double Weight (~4.29 Points)Note: This metric was calculated as follows: Number of Job Openings per Total Population in Labor Force – Unemployment Rate.
• Employment Growth: Triple Weight (~6.43 Points)Note: This metric measures the rate of annual job growth (adjusted by the working-age population growth).
• Unemployment Rate: Double Weight (~4.29 Points)
• Long-term Unemployment Rate: Full Weight (~2.14 Points)
• Underemployment Rate: Double Weight (~4.29 Points)Note: Percentage of the civilian labor force that is unemployed, plus all marginally attached workers, plus the total employed part-time for economic reasons.
• Industry Variety: Full Weight (~2.14 Points)
• Employment Outlook: Triple Weight (~6.43 Points)Note: This metric is based on the Gallup's Job Creation Index.
• Job Security: Triple Weight (~6.43 Points)Note: This metric was calculated as follows: (Number of Employees in 2016 – Number of Employees in 2015) / Number of Employees in 2015.
• Job Satisfaction: Full Weight (~2.14 Points)
• Share of Engaged Workers: Full Weight (~2.14 Points)Note: This metric is based on Gallup’s “State of the American Workplace” report. Gallup defines engaged employees as those who are involved in, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and workplace.
• Employer-Based Retirement Access & Participation: Full Weight (~2.14 Points)
• Employee Benefits: Full Weight (~2.14 Points)Note: This metric measures the share of employees with private health insurance.
• Presence of Work-Share Programs: Full Weight (~2.14 Points)Note: This binary metric measures the presence or absence of state programs that allow employers to temporarily reduce work hours of employees instead of laying them off during economic downturns.
• Presence of State Nondiscrimination Laws & Policies: Full Weight (~2.14 Points)Note: This binary metric measures the presence or absence of state laws and policies that protect workers against discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender.
• Share of Part-Time Employees: Full Weight (~2.14 Points)Note: This metric measures the number of part-time employees for every 100 full-time employees. A greater share of full-time employees is ideal.
• Availability of Internships: Double Weight (~4.29 Points)Note: This metric measures the number of internships per total civilian population aged 16 to 24 in the labor force.
• 4+ Star Job Opportunities per Total People in Labor Force: Full Weight (~2.14 Points)Note: This metric measures the number of job opportunities at 4+ star rated companies on Glasssdoor.com per the total people in the labor force.
• Disability-Friendliness of Employers: Full Weight (~2.14 Points)Note: This metric measures the percentage of persons with disabilities who are employed.

Economic Environment – Total Points: 40

• Median Annual Income: Double Weight (~5.33 Points)Note: This metric was adjusted by the cost of living.
• Monthly Average Starting Salary: Full Weight (~2.67 Points)
• Share of Workers Living Under Poverty Line: Full Weight (~2.67 Points)
• Average Length of Work Day (in Hours): Full Weight (~2.67 Points)
• Average Commute Time (in Minutes): Full Weight (~2.67 Points)
• Commuter-Friendly Jobs (Number of Jobs Accessible by a 30-Minute Transit Ride): Full Weight (~2.67 Points)
• Earned Income-Tax Credit: Full Weight (~2.67 Points)
• State Income-Tax Burden for Low-Income Earners (as Share of Income): Double Weight (~5.33 Points)
• State Income-Tax Burden for Middle-Income Earners (as Share of Income): Double Weight (~5.33 Points)
• State Income-Tax Burden for High-Income Earners (as Share of Income): Double Weight (~5.33 Points)
• Working Moms & Dads Rankings: Full Weight (~2.67 Points)Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst States for Working Moms” & “Best & Worst States for Working Dads” reports.

 

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Indeed.com, Gallup-Healthways, United Health Foundation, Brandwatch, The Pew Charitable Trusts, National Conference of State Legislatures, Chegg, Council for Community and Economic Research, Tax Credits for Workers and Their Families, ITEP, Movement Advancement Project, Glassdoor, The Center for Neighborhood Technology and WalletHub research.

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