The 10 Best Cities For Young Job Seekers

Jay Reed / Flickr

Employment trends on the whole aren't looking great for young people, but that may be partly because today's 20-somethings aren't looking in the right places.

From the start of the millennium through 2011, the share of employed Americans in their early 20s (ages 21 t0 25) fell from 84% to 72%. Even worse, the employment rate among those in their late 20s (ages 26 to 30) plunged from 87% to 70%, according to a new study from the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW).

To help these young job seekers increase their chances of finding work, researchers at the CEW analyzed where, exactly, their best job prospects are.

Using 2010 data from the U.S. Census and American Community Survey, the CEW has compiled a list of the 10 cities in the U.S. with the highest employment rates for 21- to 30-year-olds. The analysis was limited to cities with youth populations of at least 200,000. It found that in the cities with the best 20-something job prospects, youth employment rates ranged from 75% to 80%, significantly above the national average of 70%.

The numbers don't lie. This is one case where relocating for your career could make a big difference.