The personal finance website compared the 50 states on two key dimensions: job market and economic environment. The dimensions were examined using 34 metrics, including employment growth, median annual income and average commute time.
Below are the 15 best and worst states to find a job, per the analysis, along with their corresponding scores. The full ranking and scoring methodology is available here.
Best states to find a job:
1. New Hampshire — 65.99
2. Vermont — 64.97
3. Minnesota — 63.14
4. Massachusetts — 62.70
5. North Dakota — 62.28
6. Virginia — 61.47
7. Maine — 61.34
8. Rhode Island — 61.22
9. South Dakota — 60.74
10. Maryland — 60.25
11. Wisconsin — 60.05
12. Connecticut — 58.15
13. Missouri — 57.96
14. Washington — 57.36
15. Nebraska — 57.23
Worst states to find a job:
1. West Virginia — 37.71
2. Louisiana — 42.56
3. Indiana — 45.10
4. Kentucky — 45.61
5. Alaska — 45.81
6. Montana — 46.97
7. Oklahoma — 47.69
8. Wyoming — 48.35
9. Idaho — 48.40
10. New York — 48.82
11. Mississippi — 49.16
12. Arkansas — 49.26
13. Alabama — 49.95
14. Kansas — 50.14
15. New Mexico — 50.54
