Moving where the jobs are

It's not surprising to hear about someone moving because of a new job offer. However, it may soon become more common for people to move to an area before receiving employment because they believe it will be easier to find work there.

If that's the case, they may want to refer to Portfolio.com's recent State-by-State Midyear Rankings report. It ranks all states and the District of Columbia according to employment opportunities.

Topping the list are North Dakota, Alaska, and Texas, Portfolio.com said. North Dakota had a 7.8 percent job growth rate in the private sector between 2005 and 2010. It was 4.4 percent and 5.9 percent for Alaska and Texas, respectively.

The states with the worst economies and employment outlooks were Nevada, California, and Florida, according to Portfolio.com. There was no private sector job growth in these areas, with the worst experiencing a 10.5 percent loss. All of their unemployment rates sat well above the national average.

States with good employment rankings are also more likely to have a stable housing market, which will make it easier for a person moving to buy or rent a home in that area.

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