Wallet Hub has ranked Pensacola the third best Florida city for finding a job, trailing only Sarasota and Jacksonville Beach.
Pensacola ranked #10 in Job Market and #19 in Socioeconomic Environment, which gave our area total weighted score of 59.78 and nudged us ahead of Wesley Chapel, whose total score was 59.64.
WalletHub analysts compared 130 Florida cities using 16 relevant metrics that speak to two key factors important to job seekers: the local “Job Market†and the area’s “Socioeconomic Environment.â€
Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with the weighted-sum of each city’s individual-metric scores comprising its overall score, which were used for the final rankings. The complete list of the metrics used, along with their corresponding weights, is below:
Job Market – Total Points: 67
- Job Opportunities (Number of Job Openings per Number of Population in Labor Force Minus Unemployed Rate): Double Weight (~14.89 Points)
- Employment Growth (rate of annual job growth, adjusted for working-age population growth): Full Weight (~7.44 PointsMonthly Median Starting Salary (adjusted for cost of living index): Full Weight (~7.44 Points)Unemployment Rate for High School Graduates: Full Weight (~7.44 Points)
- Unemployment Rate for Residents with a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher: Full Weight (~7.44 Points)
- Industry Variety: Full Weight (~7.44 Points)
- Full Time Employment (number of part-time employees for every 100 full-time employees): Half Weight (~3.72 Points)
- Percentage of Persons Employed but Living Under Poverty Line: Full Weight (~7.44 Points)
- Percentage of Persons with Disabilities in the Workforce: Half Weight (~3.72 Points)
Socioeconomic Environment – Total Points: 33
- Median Annual Income (adjusted for cost of living index): Full Weight (~5.50 Points)
- Time Spent Working & Commuting (average commute time plus length of average workday): Half Weight (~2.75 Points)
- Benefits (percentage of employees with private health insurance): Half Weight (~2.75 Points)
- Housing Costs ((median annual household income divided by median house price) plus (median annual household income divided by price of rent for a two-bedroom apartment)): Full Weight (~5.50 Points)
- Annual Transportation Costs: Full Weight (~5.50 Points)
- Safety (Crime rate): Full Weight (~5.50 Points)
- Social Life (number of cafés per capita plus number of nightlife options per capita): Full Weight (~5.50 Points)
In the individual metrics, Pensacola ranked third in “Highest Number of Job Opportunities.”
Read 2016’s Best & Worst Florida Cities for Finding a Job | WalletHub®