Job hunting can feel like a full-time job itself! From scrolling through endless job openings and tweaking your résumé to reaching out to references and prepping for interviews, the journey to landing that perfect position takes energy, persistence, and planning. And with so many options out there, figuring out where to look is half the battle.

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The good news is that WalletHub's recent report of the Best & Worst States for Jobs in 2024 might make your search a little easier. The bad news is that the results are NOT good for Indiana and Kentucky. One WalletHub analyst explains the value of a study like this...

Living in one of the best states for jobs can provide stable conditions for the long-term, helping you ride out the fluctuations that the economy will experience in the future. The best states for jobs make it easier for residents to find and retain jobs, and employers in these states also offer very competitive compensation and benefits. In addition, the top states are great places for people looking to raise a family, ranking among the best states for working parents.

Indiana & Kentucky Are Two of the Worst States for Jobs in 2024

It gives me no pleasure at all to report that Indiana landed at #48 on the list, with Kentucky just one spot better at #47. In other words, they are the third and fourth worst states in the country for jobs, respectfully.

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The rankings were determined by examining data in two main categories - Job Market ranking, and Economic Environment ranking. Those categories contain more than two dozen subcategories which include factors like job opportunities, employment growth rates, job security, unemployment rates, median income, state income tax burden, and average commute time. Here is how Indiana & Kentucky scored...

  • Job Market: Indiana is 46th and Kentucky is 31st
  • Economic Environment: Indiana is 37th and Kentucky is 49th
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You can easily kill a bunch of time by looking through all of the data in the FULL REPORT, or you can just scroll over the map below to see how the rest of the country is ranked.

Source: WalletHub

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