A new WalletHub study ranks Florida the fourth-worst state in the nation for jobs, largely driven by the Sunshine State’s last-place finish in employment growth.

The personal finance website compared all 50 states across 34 indicators of job-market strength and economic vitality. The data set covers measures ranging from employment growth to median annual income to average commute time. Florida ranked last in employment growth, the only category where the state ranked last nationally.

Nebraska, North Dakota, and Minnesota took the top three spots. WalletHub said Nebraska earned the number one ranking because it has one of the country’s lowest unemployment rates, a growing number of available jobs, and workers likely to keep their jobs once hired.

WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said living in a top-ranked state can provide long-term stability and help residents weather economic swings. He said such states make it easier to find and keep work, and their employers tend to offer competitive pay and benefits. He added that the leading states are also strong choices for working parents.

The result is a sharp turn from earlier in WalletHub’s annual series. The 2023 edition of the same study placed Florida fifth best in the nation for jobs, according to NBC Miami. That kind of swing reminds us that composite rankings can shift significantly depending on which indicators are included and how each is weighted, and that a single category, such as employment growth, can pull a state’s overall standing a long way.

The full ranking and methodology are available on WalletHub’s website.

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