It seems Philadelphia can’t get enough good press. The New York Times and Lonely Planet ranked the city the No. 1 destination for tourists. It’s great for singles, live music and, of course, food. Even the Phanatic was namedthe best mascot. Oh, and it’s also the first World Heritage City in the country.
But if you’re a recent college graduate, stay away.
A recent report from
WalletHub found Philly is one of the worst cities in the U.S. to start your career — 146th of 150 cities analyzed, to be exact.
A revamped cover letter and a personal marketing strategy might not be enough for young graduates, WalletHub says. Often, improving chances at employment could be as simple as relocating.
The personal finance group looked at several key metrics, including the availability of entry-level jobs, median starting salary, workforce diversity, unemployment rate, median annual income and economic mobility.
In professional opportunities, Philly came in 139th. When it comes to quality of life, the city ranked 133rd, beating out New York City and Los Angeles. WalletHub’s research found Salt Lake City No. 1 for job-seeking grads; the worst was Detroit.
A February 2016
reportfound employment in professional and business services in Philadelphia grew 4.2 percent since February 2015, outpacing the national average by nearly double. But Philly’s median starting income, $49,500, is a whopping 38 percent below the San Jose metropolitan area, which ranks first in the nation according to
Forbes. Philly falls only 6.6 percent behind New York City in starting salary, and only 2.4 percent behind Salt Lake City.
An earlier
WalletHub report also found Philly to be among the worst cities for retirees, with high cost of living and few activities and job opportunities available to seniors.