Job Creation Geography: Top 10 Pittsburgh

You move where the jobs are. Yes, geographic mobility is still in a long decline. But all US workers are not frozen in place. New hiring is sparse. The exceptions to the rule:

Since the Great Recession ended in June 2009, the United States has gained about 1.2 million jobs, mostly in the services sector. Of the top 100 metros, 59 have added jobs overall, while 41 have lost jobs.

The top 10 job-creating metros account for 38.5% of net U.S. job growth and include Houston (7.2%), Dallas (6.1%), Boston (6.0%), Phoenix (3.5%), Detroit (3.1%), Miami (3.0%), Nashville (2.7%), Pittsburgh (2.5%), Washington DC (2.2%), and San Jose (2.1%).

Emphasis added. Job growth is one thing. Recovery is quite another. Detroit has a long way to go back to peak employment. To attract migrants, demand for talent needs to outstrip local supply. That's Pittsburgh.

Relocation to Houston, Dallas, and even Boston isn't news. Some destinations don't change. However, the Great Recession did pick a few new winners in the vote-with-your-feet game. Pittsburgh is one of them.