New York is the number 1 place where recent graduates apply for jobs, according to new data from Handshake, a college career site.
The city was already receiving the highest number of applications from recent graduates before the pandemic, and it has only become more competitive since. New York had 6.7 times more applications for new positions between 2022-2023 compared to the same period in 2018-2019.
It also received double the applications of the second city on the list, Chicago.
Here are the top 15 cities where today’s recent graduates are applying for jobs the most:
1. New York
2. Chicago
3. Dallas
4. Los Angeles
5. Atlanta
6. Boston
7. San Francisco
8. Austin, Texas
9. Washington D.C.
10. Houston
11. Seattle
12. Denver
13. Philadelphia
14. San Diego
15. Miami
New York may be the number 1 job destination for recent graduates, but it comes at a cost.
The Manhattan neighborhood is the most expensive place to live in the entire United States. The cost of living is more than double the national average, and the average rent remains at a record level of nearly $4,400 per month.
But with inflation so high, this trend may change. A survey from ZipRecruiter showed that 1 in 3 post-grads say they intend to move to a cheaper city.
Miami, Atlanta, and Philadelphia have become more popular in recent years, while Seattle, San Diego, and San Francisco have dropped a few positions.
And while hybrid work is still popular (41% of students say they are more likely to apply for a hybrid job), students are reflecting more on where they want their office and new life after graduation to be. About 72% of applications on Handshake last year were for positions with a specific workplace, rather than remote positions.
Source: CNBC