November 2010: The 10 Best and Worst Cities to Find a Job

After losing ground for the first time in more than two years, employment activity in Washington, D.C., enjoyed a strong rebound in November. Boasting an 8 point gain for the month, hiring in the nation’s capital has now reached a 35-month high.

Like Washington, D.C., Boston also boasted big gains in employment activity and solidified its second-place standing with a 9 point improvement for November.

While employment activity in San Francisco grew by 6.7% for November, they city was outpaced by Boston for the first time in several months. The chance that the Bay Area will overtake Boston for second place is becoming increasingly remote.

Employment activity in Seattle improved by 4.7% for November, marking the second straight month that the city has boasted an Index score above 100. While this was a far cry from the emerald city’s October performance, it helped keep Seattle well ahead of fifth-place Atlanta.

November marks the first time Atlanta has seen two straight months of improved employment activity since May – June. Gaining eight points, the Georgia capital also managed to overtake Baltimore to finish in fifth place overall.

Unlike most cities in the top 10, Baltimore saw little improvement in November, as the city gained just one point and fell behind Atlanta. At this rate, the Maryland capital could fall behind Chicago before the end of the year.

With a seven point gain in November, Chicago has once again pulled ahead of New York after falling behind the big apple last month. Boasting an 8.8% gain in employment activity, the windy city is now on pace to rise further up the rankings in 2011.

Unlike Chicago, New York only saw a one point gain in employment activity for November, which pushed the city back into seventh place overall. At this rate the big apple could be overtaken by Denver or even Cleveland early next year.

Languishing outside the top 10 for much of the year, Denver has enjoyed a resurgence in recent months. Gaining another three points in November, the mile high city held on to ninth place, and is on pace to pass New York soon.

This is Cleveland’s second appearance among the 10 best cities for job seekers – after rising to 10th place in August, the city slid to 13th, losing significant ground. However an impressive 11-point gain in November has helped the Ohio city re-enter the top 10.