File Photo / Tim Greenway
Live + Work in Maine Executive Director Nate Wildes
Updated: May 26, 2022
Portland is one of top 10 US cities for summer jobs
Courtesy /WalletHub
In a WalletHub ranking of the best U.S. cities for summer jobs, Portland, Maine was No. 8 on the list.
Out of more than 180 U.S. cities evaluated as the best for summertime job-seekers, Portland is ranked No. 8 on a WalletHub list released Wednesday.
The finance website's ranking comes just before Memorial Day weekend kicks off the summer season, and adds to Portland's top 10 accolades.
Maine's largest city recently placed No. 8 in U.S. News & World Report's best places to live in 2022-23 and No. 9 on a WalletHub list released last week of best U.S. cities to start a career.
In looking at summer job locales, WalletHub researchers compared the relative strength of markets across the United States according to 22 indicators of employment outlook, affordability and downtime-friendliness.
Factors that weighed into ranking include the median income of part-time workers to the availability of summer jobs to the COVID vaccination rate for residents. Portland received much higher marks than Lewiston, which was No. 143 on the list.
Portland was found to be third-best in terms of social environment and — surprisingly — affordability. However, the city received far lower marks for its youth job market, coming in at No. 28 ranking in that category.
Nate Wildes, executive director of Live + Work in Maine, welcomed Portland's strong showing in the WalletHub report.
“The cat’s out of the bag — Maine’s quality of life has attracted nearly 40 million visitors every year, and given today’s labor market, it’s no surprise that Portland would be seen as one of the most desirable places to put your talents to work," he said.
"When talent has choice, they’re going to choose to be where the benefits encompass both life and work — and there’s no better ‘benefits package’ than working in Maine.”
Wildes added that two Maine locations making the WalletHub list is a win, with Portland and Lewiston distinct enough from each other with Maine as the common denominator and key differentiator.
Location, location, location
The report's authors noted the importance of location in choosing a summer job, and the fact that minimum-wage laws and local costs will determine how much employees earn and what they'll be able to afford in terms of housing, transportation and social activities.
"More importantly, if you're supporting yourself, location will dictate how much of your income you'll be able to save, if that's your goal," the report says.
Portland was one of only two New England cities in the top 10, along with Warwick, R.I. , which was No. 6.
Orlando, Fla., home of Walt Disney World and other attractions, is No. 1 on the list, followed by Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Columbia, Md.; Scottsdale, Ariz.; and Juneau, Ala., to round out the top five.
At the other end of the spectrum, Lubbock, Texas, was last on the list, at No. 182. The full WalletHub report can be found here.
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