Dive Brief:
- Omaha, Nebraska, been recognized recently as the fifth best city in the U.S., ranked by employee happiness, according to kununu. In response, the Greater Omaha Chamber is touting the city's other accolades — it won the top slot on RealtyHop's 2018 list of best metro area for millennials — and strengths, which include its high job opportunity and low cost of living.
- The city boasts a median annual salary of more than $46,000, according to the chamber. For millennials in Nebraska, the median income sits higher at $59,000, the chamber said, citing GoBankingRates' Kelly Hoey. U.S. News & World Report named it the seventh-most affordable place to live in 2018.
- The city earned the No. 1 slot on ZipRecruiter's 2018 lineup of best cities for college graduates to start their careers. Omaha won the slot "because it strikes the rare balance of affordability, high job opportunity and a great quality of life," according to ZipRecruiter Data Journalist Jeffery Marino, who helped select the city.
Dive Insight:
Cities have proved popular destinations for younger workers, and those boasting inexpensive living rates and a thriving job market can attract top talent. The NRP Group shifted its headquarters from Ohio suburbs to downtown Cleveland where it could find and hire more young professionals who preferred to live within the city.
Mercer released a report in November on emerging global megacities that are destined to attract workers. Although the report focused on the importance of health, money and work among employees, more than half of the respondents in the report said they expect large companies to work with local and international governments to make cities more attractive places to work.
However, job seekers are also increasingly unwilling to move for a new opportunity. In the first six months of 2018, only 10% of job seekers relocated for work, according to analysis by Challenger, Gray & Christmas — which is why more employers are moving to where the workers are, in some respects, either by shifting headquarters or hiring more remote-enabled workers.
