The 9 US States with the Best Job Markets Hiring Now

Pictured: White 3D US map on white background/iStock, Aleksei Iatsenko

In a recent study of the U.S. states with the best and worst labor economies, nine reigned supreme. Of those, all but one was located in the southern region of the country.

To determine which states have the strongest labor markets, Peak Sales Recruiting analyzed the most recent workforce data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), weighing factors like employment, wage growth, labor productivity, quit rates and job openings. The analysis also included layoffs and underemployment rates in each state.

Here are the nine states with the top labor markets in the U.S., including details about the life sciences industries and jobs available in each state.

Louisiana topped the list with the nation’s strongest labor economy, driven by a recent increase in labor productivity and job openings. The state boasts a growing life sciences industry, housing facilities owned by major companies such as AstraZeneca and Sanofi. In addition, Louisiana State University boosts the state’s industry presence through its biotech program and partnerships.

See biopharma companies in Louisiana hiring now.

South Carolina also has a robust presence in the industry. South Carolina is home to the SmartState program, an initiative in which the state government authorized Clemson University, the Medical University of South Carolina and the University of South Carolina to use state-provided lottery funds to invest in several areas to enhance innovation, including the biopharma industry.

See biopharma companies in South Carolina hiring now.

Florida boasts a large and diverse life sciences industry. According to Enterprise Florida, the sunshine state is home to the nation’s second-largest medical device manufacturing industry, second-largest pharmaceuticals manufacturing industry and the fifth-largest biotech R&D industry. The state is also home to many major players in the industry, such as Bristol Myers Squibb and Johnson & Johnson.

See biopharma companies in Florida hiring now.

Virginia is an established hub for the pharma and biotech industry. According to VirginiaBio, the state affiliate of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), there are 1,451 life science companies in the state with 26,545 employees, and the industry contributes $8 billion to Virginia’s economy.

See biopharma companies in Virginia hiring now.

Though Idaho may not be the first state that comes to mind as a force in the biopharma industry, the state hosted over 2,000 jobs in the biopharma industry as of February 2022, according to the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). The industry has also generated over $100 million in tax revenue for the state and boasts about $2 billion in total economic output.

See biopharma companies in Idaho hiring now.

Georgia is home to a rapidly growing biopharma industry housing leading research institutions like the Emory School of Medicine and the Georgia Institute of Technology. The state’s capital has seen a large spike in industry-related investments of late. These include two new developments currently under construction that are expected to create over 100,000 new jobs and add upwards of $9 billion to the state’s economy.

See biopharma companies in Georgia hiring now.

Alabama’s life sciences industry includes research institutions like Auburn University and the University of Alabama. According to an analysis by researchers at the latter, the state’s life sciences industry generates $7.3 billion in economic activity per year. Alabama also hosts 780 life science companies that support about 48,000 direct and indirect jobs across the state. Alabama is also home to Cummings Research Park, the second largest research park in the U.S., according to the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama.

See biopharma companies in Alabama hiring now.

Kentucky is home to research institutions like the University of Kentucky’s College of Medicine. It boasted $8.5 billion in total industry-related output as of February 2022, according to PhRMA, and generated a total of $409.2 million in tax revenue. Life sciences workers also pull in a much higher average salary than those working in other industries across the state, with an average salary of $119,520 for industry employees versus $53,890 for other sectors.

See biopharma companies in Kentucky hiring now.

Arkansas houses a growing life sciences industry that included almost 2,500 workers across the state as of 2022, PhRMA reported, and average worker compensation in the industry is almost double that of those working in all other sectors. In total, the biopharma industry has generated $160.7 million in tax revenue and $3.5 billion in total economic output for the state.

See biopharma companies in Arkansas hiring now.

Rosemary Scott was an editor at BioSpace, focusing on the job market and career development for professionals in the life sciences. You can reach her on LinkedIn.