MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Milwaukee is earning high marks from national analysts, as one of the best places in the country for recent college graduates to start their careers.
The Wall Street Journal ranked Milwaukee second in the nation for young professionals entering the workforce, citing strong hiring rates for people in their 20s and an average starting salary of just over $49,000.
“There are good things happening in this community for young people,” said Ryan Amundson, senior director of communications for the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC).
Amundson said Milwaukee’s affordability gives it an edge over bigger metros.
“If you look to the south in Chicago, we’re significantly more cost-effective for young college grads,” he said.
In addition to the Journal’s ranking, LinkedIn recently listed Milwaukee as one of its top five “cities on the rise” — a ranking based on job growth and an influx of young talent.
Major employers are expanding—Northwestern Mutual, Milwaukee Tool, and Eli Lilly are just a few adding hundreds of jobs in the region. Marquette Associate Professor of Management Margaret Hughes-Morgan said the city's higher education footprint plays a major role.
“The colleges are doing very well. Within a 10-square mile radius, there are 19 colleges here,” she said.
Hughes-Morgan says shorter commute times compared to other cities, a bustling cultural scene, and the third coast are just some of the things that people of all ages find attractive about Milwaukee
“I’ve lived all over the country, and Milwaukee is my favorite place I’ve ever lived,” Hughes-Morgan said.
Amundson says the shift is already having a ripple effect beyond just recent graduates.
“You see movement into the region, and that’s going to impact all businesses, because all businesses need people here,” he said.
Both Amundson and Hughes-Morgan now say it is up to city and regional leaders to spread the word about what makes the area a great place to work and live.