Where the jobs are, Spring 2009

A quarterly survey reveals the cities expecting the largest employment growth–and losses–across the country. Thanks to last year’s strong harvest of apples and the jobs that followed in juicing, packaging and shipping. Yakima, Wash., has the strongest employment outlook in the country for the second quarter of 2009, according to a quarterly survey by employment services firm Manpower.

“This is an agricultural base, a huge apple-growing region,” says Bill Cook, director of community and economic development for Yakima, Washington has the strongest employment outlook in the country for the second quarter of 2009, according to a quarterly survey by employment services firm Manpower.

“This is an agricultural base, a huge apple-growing region,” says Bill Cook, director of community and economic development for Yakima. “Last year’s apple harvest was huge, and it helped carry employment through  the winter. Even in normal economic year that wouldn’t happen.”

Cities in the Pacific Northwest and Texas have the best employment outlook for April through June, while cities in the Southeast have the weakest, according to the survey.

Kennewick, Washington is #2!  Net employment outlook +19%.

Once home to the nation’s most Ph.D.’s per capita, Kennewick has an impressive number of engineers and scientists. Pacific Northwest National Lab employs many of them to convert agricultural materials into plastics and biofuels and perform research involving fuel cells. The region’s farmland also provides job, with workers growing, potatoes, corn, asparagus and wheat.

Source:  Tara Weiss and Emily Schmitt, www.forbes.com

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