Fargo, ND, is among the 10 best places in the US to find a manufacturing job.
North Dakotans usually pride themselves on the low unemployment rate in the state and their hardy Midwestern work ethic. Now, they have another reason to blush and dig their toes in the dirt. Fargo, ND, ranks among the 10 best places in the US for finding a manufacturing job.
Although not the ideal growth environment because of negative annual growth rates of 4% and 3% in 2009 and 2010 respectively, Fargo ranks high for growing manufacturing employment, low unemployment, a relatively low cost of living, and reasonable executive salaries.
Fargo’s annual growth rate in manufacturing employment was 4% in January 2011, 5% in February 2011, and 9% over the past 10 years, ending in February 2011. With 8,700 employed in manufacturing, 400 of those jobs are new in the 12 months ending in February 2011.
At 4.7%, which is uncharacteristically high for Fargo, the unemployment rate is still the lowest of all top 10 cities.
Comparatively, the cost of living in Fargo at 92% of the national average in 2010, is among the lower in the 10 locations.
Perhaps one of the more surprising statistics, executive salaries are third highest among the 10 at 106% of the national average in 2009.
Other locations in the Manufacturing Top 10 are (in alphabetical order by state) Flagstaff, AZ; Bakersfield-Delano, CA; Amarillo, Midland, and Odessa, TX; Logan, UT-ID; Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, WA; Morgantown, WV; and Casper, WY.
(Source: Jobbait.com)
