Want to land a job after college? You’ll want to take a look at at the Southeast, according to new data out from the payroll processing giant ADP.
The report, which ranked cities based on hiring rate, wages, and affordability, found that Birmingham, Alabama is the top place for a young college graduate to start their career. Other top cities include Tampa, Raleigh, Nashville, and Charlotte.
The graduation season comes with its own array of articles and think pieces related to the job market. This year, the focus has been on what role, if any, AI has had on the high unemployment rate for young professionals. But places across the South, which attracted new businesses during COVID, are continuing to attract new young talent.
Birmingham’s top ranking was not a surprise to Shannon Allen, Innovate Alabama’s Executive Director for Future Talent Strategies.
“Birmingham offers a combination of opportunities that’s hard for graduates to find elsewhere, including strong career possibilities, comparatively low cost of living and a quality of life that makes it realistic to build both a career and a life they love,” Allen told Hypepotamus. “That’s been true here for some time, and it’s a big part of why more young talent is choosing to stay or move here after graduation.”
Allen added that Birmingham is seeing a growing interest and need for data science, cybersecurity, and software development jobs in Alabama
Building Up Local Talent
Birmingham, and the State of Alabama as a whole, is looking for ways to nurture homegrown talent. That is happening through programs like the Alabama Data Scholars, which connects students with real-world experience in data-driven roles with employers across the state. You can read Hypepotamus reporting on the program here.
The state also has programs like FuelAL, which introduces college students to Alabama companies and communities before they make post-graduation decisions, and the HBCU Innovation Experience, which equips students with technical and entrepreneurial skills while expanding their professional networks.
“At the same time, there’s a growing interest in entrepreneurship. More students are exploring how to build their own ventures, especially when they have access to the right mentorship, resources and early-stage support. One example is TappedIn, a student-founded company that came out of the University of Alabama’s BIG Ideas program. What started as a campus-based idea has since gone on to win multiple pitch competitions and expand to college campuses both inside and outside of Alabama,” Allen added.