Matthew Kirdahy, 01.10.08, 12:00 PM ET

The Lone Star State shines brilliantly in a list of the best places to work in the U.S. when some economists peer into their crystal balls for 2008.

Austin, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio all rank high on the latest forecast data from Moody’s (nyse: MCO - news - people ) Economy.com. McAllen, Texas, is expected to have the highest job growth rate, as its leisure and hospitality, educational and health services and commercial construction jobs flourish.

“While the economy is cooling, Texas continues to generate more jobs than the national average,” said Krista Piferrer, deputy press secretary to Gov. Rick Perry. “Unemployment is low in Texas, thanks in large part to a favorable business climate that encourages businesses to expand or relocate to our state.”

In Pictures: Best Cities For Jobs 2008

Even still, Salt Lake City, in all its tech-job abundance, looks like it will remain No. 1 since Forbes.com’s most recent ranking ( see last year’s story).

To compile the rankings for the Best Cities For Jobs list forecast, we used five data points, weighted equally: the state’s unemployment rate, job growth, income growth, median household income and cost of living for full-year 2006 (only partial data is available so far for 2007). We measured the largest 100 metropolitan areas, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, and obtained the data from Moody’s Economy.com.

The numbers are compiled based on greater metropolitan areas; it’s also important to note that this list doesn’t weigh specifics like job composition or job stability, two significant characteristics that will appeal to any job seeker.

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Tags: austin, economy, growth, jobs by Aria
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CENTRAL TEXAS DIGEST

Austin area job growth rebounds

COMPILED FROM STAFF REPORTS
Friday, March 07, 2008 TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION

Job market up 4.2% in January; unemployment same as year ago

Central Texas’ job growth rebounded to 4.2 percent in January, as the region’s employment market continued to outperform most other areas of the country.

The unemployment rate was 3.9 percent, the same as in January 2007, the Texas Workforce Commission reported.

The region’s job market was growing at more than a 4 percent pace in early 2007 but slowed later in the year.

Job growth fell to 3 percent in December.

Statewide, the unemployment rate was 4.3 percent in January, compared with 4.5 percent a year ago.

By comparison, the U.S. jobless rate was 4.9 percent in January, down from 5 percent a month before.

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Tags: austin, economy, growth, jobs, money by Aria
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