CLARKSBURG, W.Va. – According to a recent study from WalletHub, Charleston, W.Va. is the best place in West Virginia for summer jobs.
As the states begin to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, with the help of vaccines and booster doses, people are on the hunt for summer jobs. However, a great many factors come into play when looking for the best ones.
WalletHub compared 182 cities across two key dimensions, “Youth Job Market” and “Social Environment & Affordability.” They used 22 weighted metrics within these two dimensions, where each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, “with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for individuals seeking summer work.”
WalletHub then determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to determine the rank-order.
The final result placed Charleston, W.Va. as the 14 best city in the nation to get a summer job, and also the best city in West Virginia.
Best Places to Get a Summer Job
| Overall Rank | City | Total Score | Youth Job Market | Social Environment & Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orlando, FL | 60.02 | 1 | 16 |
| 2 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 59.44 | 2 | 13 |
| 3 | Columbia, MD | 58.44 | 7 | 8 |
| 4 | Scottsdale, AZ | 58.22 | 3 | 24 |
| 5 | Juneau, AK | 56.76 | 5 | 23 |
| 6 | Warwick, RI | 56.20 | 4 | 55 |
| 7 | Rapid City, SD | 55.13 | 8 | 52 |
| 8 | Portland, ME | 54.76 | 23 | 3 |
| 9 | Huntington Beach, CA | 53.82 | 9 | 42 |
| 10 | Garden Grove, CA | 53.73 | 12 | 36 |
| 11 | Miami, FL | 53.73 | 15 | 20 |
| 12 | Tampa, FL | 53.26 | 11 | 60 |
| 13 | Glendale, CA | 52.99 | 10 | 67 |
| 14 | Charleston, WV | 52.88 | 6 | 124 |
| 15 | Las Vegas, NV | 52.42 | 20 | 18 |
Charleston, however, was not the only city in West Virginia to appear on the list. With an overall ranking of 112, Huntington, W.Va also found itself tied for highest percentage of population aged 16 to 24 in poverty with Burlington, Vt.
Metrics:
Youth Job Market – Total Points: 75
- Availability of Summer Jobs: Full Weight (~5.36 Points)
Note: This metric measures the number of part-time and temporary jobs per total civilian population aged 16 to 24 in the labor force. - Availability of Internships: Double Weight (~10.71 Points)
Note: This metric measures the number of internship listings per total civilian population aged 16 to 24 in the labor force. - Summer Employment Growth: Double Weight (~10.71 Points)
Note: This metric measures the change in employment during summer 2021 and during summer 2020. - Summer Employment Bump: Double Weight (~10.71 Points)
Note: This metric measures the difference in employment during summer versus year-round. A higher difference favors summer employment. - Labor-Force Participation Rate of Population Aged 16 to 24: Full Weight (~5.36 Points)
- Unemployment Rate of Population Aged 16 to 24: Full Weight (~5.36 Points)
- Underemployment Rate: Full Weight (~5.36 Points)
- Net Employment Outlook: Full Weight (~5.36 Points)
Note: This metric measures the percentage of employers who expect to add employees minus the percentage who expect to have fewer, according to the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey. - Ratio of Part-Time Workers to Full-Time Workers: Full Weight (~5.36 Points)
Note: This metric measures the number of part-time employees per 100 full-time employees. - Median Income of Part-Time Workers: Full Weight (~5.36 Points)
Note: This metric was adjusted for the cost of living. - Share of Insured Part-Time Workers: Full Weight (~5.36 Points)
Note: “Insured” refers to those with health-insurance coverage.
Social Environment & Affordability – Total Points: 25
- Share of Population Aged 16 to 24: Full Weight (~2.08 Points)
- Share of Population Aged 16 to 24 in Poverty: Full Weight (~2.08 Points)
- Minimum Wage: Full Weight (~2.08 Points)
Note: Data for this metric were available at the state level only. - Rental Price as Share of Median Income: Full Weight (~2.08 Points)
Note: This metric measures the rental price for a one-bedroom property as a share of the median income of part-time workers. - Access to Public Transportation: Full Weight (~2.08 Points)
Note: This metric measures the percentage of commuters who use public transit. - Commuter-Friendliness of Jobs: Full Weight (~2.08 Points)
Note: This metric measures the number of jobs accessible by a 30-minute transit ride per total civilian employed population. - Annual Costs of Public Transportation Pass for Part-Time Workers: Full Weight (~2.08 Points)
Note: This metric measures annual costs of public transportation pass as a share of the median income of part-time workers. - Fun-Friendliness: Full Weight (~2.08 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Most Fun Cities in America” ranking. - Active-Lifestyle-Friendliness: Full Weight (~2.08 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst Cities for an Active Lifestyle” ranking. - Singles-Friendliness: Full Weight (~2.08 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst Cities for Singles” ranking. - Percentage of Residents Who Are Fully Vaccinated: Double Weight (~4.17 Points)
