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The States with the Fastest-Growing Job Markets

Journo Research

Thursday, October 26th, 2023

  • South Carolina has the fastest-growing job market in America, with the rate of available job openings increasing by 142.86% in the last 10 years.   

  • Minnesota and Kansas also ranked high in the new study, with job openings rates accelerating by over 140%.  

  • The rate of job openings has risen in America by 89.29% since 2013, with 33 states performing better than the national average.    

South Carolina is the state with the fastest-growing job market in America, a new study has found.    

New research from The Digital Project Manager (DPM) reveals which states have the fastest-growing job markets. DPM analyzed data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on the rate of available job openings in each state across the country in July 2013 and July 2023.  
According to BLS, the national job openings rate in America has risen by 89.29%, from 2.8 in 2013 to 5.3 in 2023, meaning out of every 100 jobs nationwide, there are over five job openings available. Approximately 33 states performed better than the national average. Notably, large states like California, Texas, and Florida ranked among the slowest-growing job markets.  
South Carolina topped the study as the state with the fastest-growing job market. Over the last 10 years, the rate of available jobs in the state has risen by 142.86%, from 2.8 in July 2013 to 6.8 in July 2023. 
Minnesota claimed second in the ranking, falling just short of South Carolina. The available job openings rate in the state sat at 6.3 in July 2023, representing an astronomical rise of 142.31% from 2.6 back in July 2013.  
Despite having the joint-lowest job openings rate of any state in July 2013, Kansas has seen major changes in the subsequent decade. The rate of job openings has exploded from 2.2 to 5.3 within the last 10 years, increasing by 140.91%. These figures mean Kansas ranks third among the states with the fastest-growing job markets.  
West Virginia placed fourth among the nation’s fastest-growing job markets. As of July 2023, the rate of job openings in West Virginia sits at a national high of 6.9, a 137.93% increase from July 2013’s rate.    
Arkansas and Louisiana claimed joint fifth spot on the study of the states with the fastest-growing job markets. The state-wide rate of available jobs has soared over the last decade in both states, from below the national average in 2013 to comfortably above the national average in 2023. These figures have increased by 137.5% in both states over this period.    

Job openings rates by state 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ranking 

 

 

 

 

 

State 

 

 

 

 

 

Jul-13 

 

 

 

 

 

Jul-23 

 

 

 

 

 

Percentage increase 

 

 

 

 

 

1 

 

 

 

 

South Carolina 

 

 

 

 

2.8 

 

 

 

 

6.8 

 

 

 

 

142.86% 

 

 

 

 

 

2 

 

 

 

 

Minnesota 

 

 

 

 

2.6 

 

 

 

 

6.3 

 

 

 

 

142.31% 

 

 

 

 

 

3 

 

 

 

 

Kansas 

 

 

 

 

2.2 

 

 

 

 

5.3 

 

 

 

 

140.91% 

 

 

 

 

 

4 

 

 

 

 

West Virginia 

 

 

 

 

2.9 

 

 

 

 

6.9 

 

 

 

 

137.93% 

 

 

 

 

 

=5 

 

 

 

 

Arkansas 

 

 

 

 

2.4 

 

 

 

 

5.7 

 

 

 

 

137.50% 

 

 

 

 

 

=5 

 

 

 

 

Louisiana 

 

 

 

 

2.4 

 

 

 

 

5.7 

 

 

 

 

137.50% 

 

 

 

 

 

6 

 

 

 

 

Mississippi 

 

 

 

 

2.7 

 

 

 

 

6.4 

 

 

 

 

137.04% 

 

 

 

 

 

7 

 

 

 

 

Connecticut 

 

 

 

 

2.2 

 

 

 

 

5.2 

 

 

 

 

136.36% 

 

 

 

 

 

8 

 

 

 

 

Illinois 

 

 

 

 

2.3 

 

 

 

 

5.4 

 

 

 

 

134.78% 

 

 

 

 

 

9 

 

 

 

 

Maine 

 

 

 

 

2.7 

 

 

 

 

6.3 

 

 

 

 

133.33% 

 

 

 

 

 

10 

 

 

 

 

Massachusetts 

 

 

 

 

2.6 

 

 

 

 

6 

 

 

 

 

130.77%  

Mississippi takes sixth place among America’s fastest-growing job markets with an increase of 137.04% and is one of five states in the south to be named in the ranking. Over the past decade, the rate of available job openings in the state has increased dramatically, rising from an initial 2.7 in July 2013 to 6.4 in July 2023, one of the highest across the country. 

Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, and Massachusetts rounded out the top 10 states with the fastest-growing job markets, with job openings rates shooting up by over 130% in each location.    
Nuala Turner, Editor of The Digital Project Manager, commented on the findings: “It is fascinating to see how the employment landscape has transformed over the last decade, with states like Kansas, Illinois, and Arkansas, which previously had some of the worst job openings rates in the country, now among some of the best performers.”   

“As the American job market continues to stabilize following Covid-19 shutdowns and spiraling employee quit rates, it’s encouraging that job openings rates are rising at exciting rates in the majority of states across the country,” Turner added.