West Virginia landed two cities on careerbuilder.com's '25 Best Places to Find a Job' list. It was featured on CNN.com's webpage Monday. Smaller cities saw the most growth in the last year according to the list.
Morgantown ranked number six on the list. City Manager Dan Boroff says that's due in large part to WVU. "The presence of West Virginia University is a very strong anchor in the growth and development there has really lead the way. We're also fortunate with major investments in the medical community. It's been an important compliment as well."
Comparing July of 2007 to July of 2008, unemployment numbers were down and the job growth rate was up by 1.8%. Boroff says it has a lot to do with Morgantown's growth spurt that started ten years ago. But he adds in a very unstable economic period, they're keeping a close watch on the numbers. "We are very mindful of the national situations and conditions that are in place. And certainly, although we have all of these advantages, we're not immune to the impact of those developments either."
Charles Town ranked as the 18th best place to find a job. City Manger Gary Rollins credits that ranking to the fact the city doesn't just rely on one business. "There's a diversity in this economy." From the Charles Town Races to government jobs and education, Rollins believes that's helping the city stay above the current economic crisis.
Unemployment is on the decline in Charles Town and the job growth rate is at 1%.
