Denver Ranked Among Top Cities for Job Seekers

For many people, the beginning of 2014 is marked by aspirations of finding a new and better job. With a national unemployment rate of 6.7 percent, the lowest since October 2008, the new year is an excellent time to begin the job search.

Prospects for job hunters in Denver are especially bright. The Mile High City was just ranked the fourth best city in the nation for job seekers by consumer advocacy site NerdWallet.

NerdWallet evaluated the nation's 50 largest cities based on the following criteria:

•Job Availability: NerdWallet looked at the unemployment rate in each place to determine job availability. A low unemployment rate led to a higher overall score.

•Population Growth: NerdWallet assessed population growth to ensure that the city is attracting workers and exhibiting an upward growth trend. High population growth led to a higher overall score.

•Affordability: NerdWallet examined the median income and monthly homeowner costs to assess whether residents could live comfortably in the area. Monthly homeowner costs were used to proxy the cost of living. Cities with high median incomes and a low cost of living scored higher.

Only Austin, Washington, D.C. and Fort Worth topped Denver in the rankings. Denver's 5.8 percent unemployment rate falls below the national average. It also boasts a $32,002 median income and saw a 4.9 percent population growth between 2010 and 2012.

Denver has proven itself as a hub for the aerospace and manufacturing industries. Some of the area's largest employers are Ball Corporation, Lockheed Martin, the University of Colorado system, and HealthONE Corporation. The City of Denver is also dedicated to helping its citizens find productive careers. The city offers a range of training sessions and workshops for job hunters on topics such as computer skills, resume building, and networking.

More information on the nation's best cities for job seekers can be found here.