Best cities for employment in 2008

		Matthew Kirdahy, 01.10.08, 12:00 PM ET The Lone Star State shines brilliantly in a list of the best places to work in the United States when some economists peer into their crystal balls for 2008. Austin, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio all high on the latest data from Moody's (nyse: MCO - news - people) Economy.com. McAllen, Texas, is expected to have the highest rate of growth in employment, leisure and hospitality, education and health services and commercial construction jobs flourish. "While the economy is cooling, Texas continues to generate more jobs than the national average," said Krista Piferrer, deputy press secretary to Gov. Rick Perry. "Unemployment is low in Texas, in large part thanks to a favourable business climate that encourages businesses to relocate or expand in our state." Snapshots: best cities for jobs 2008 Even still, Salt Lake City, in all its tech-employment abundance, looks like it will remain No. 1 from Forbes.com 's most recent rankings (see the story of last year). To compile the rankings of the Best Cities Jobs For a list of predictions, we used five points of data, the same weight: the state unemployment rate, job growth, income growth, the median income household and the cost of living for the whole year 2006 (only partial data is available so far for 2007). We have measured the 100 largest metropolitan areas, as defined by the US Census Bureau, and obtained data from Moody's Economy.com. The figures are compiled based on the more metropolitan areas, it is also important to note that this list does not weigh specific jobs as the composition or employment stability, two important features that will appeal to any job seeker. Mark Zandi, chief economist and co-founder of Moody's Economy.com, acknowledged depression of the housing market is facing the company and said that the prevailing destinations on the list are not as heavily invested in the development Real estate boom, which ultimately led to bust history. That does not mean the highest-ranking cities on this list are completely in the clear, however: "If we have a national recession, if problems intensify nationwide, these savings are going to fight," said Zandi. The top cities on the list include Atlanta, abound in the transportation, distribution and financial services career. Indianapolis has a strong presence in the agricultural sector as well. Omaha, Neb.. Warren Buffet of the city, offering jobs at opposite ends of the spectrum, in financial services and agriculture as well. The Emerald City - Seattle - makes aerospace and global trade professionals at the table. Kurt Ronn, president and founder of HRworks, Atlanta-based job recruitment and consulting firm, said Americans are attracted to certain locations based on opportunity and affordability, both available right in his own backyard Court. He noted that, on a large scale, the employment situation has been strong in the fields of technology and logistics, as in the distribution and sale. Some notables: Honolulu is the best in the pack of a low unemployment rate, a good sign that tourism remains healthy. Edison, NJ, the highest rank in the category of median income. Buffalo, NY, has the lowest cost of living, while San Jose, California, has the highest. New York is No. 58 on the list, while Los Angeles is No. 87. Snapshots: best cities for jobs 2008