Is Fresno a good city for job seekers?
Despite being named one of the “least desirable” cities in the nation — and one of the worst places to retire —the city has experienced significant employment growth, according to a new study.
Kendra’s Boutique Inc., an Arkansas-based beauty brand, recently ranked Fresno one of the 10 cities in the United States that have seen job opportunities increase.
Researchers singled out the 10 fastest-growing job markets in the nation based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Here’s where Fresno ranked — and where:
An aerial drone image of downtown Fresno looks south on Fulton Street from Tuolumne Street. CRAIG KOHLRUSS Fresno Bee file How good is job growth in Fresno?
Fresno was the 10th best metropolitan area for overall job growth, according to the study by Kendra’s Boutique, Inc.
Fresno secured an overall score of 86, outperforming all other California metro areas in terms of employment increases.
Fresno saw a 20.1% increase in employment in 10 years, outpacing all other California metropolitan areas during the same timeframe, according to the study.
In comparison, San Francisco saw 4.5% job growth over 10 years, and San Jose experienced 8.0% job growth, based on
In Southern California, Los Angeles saw 5.9% job growth over 10 years, and San Diego achieved 11.4%.
Meanwhile, Fresno ranked seventh in the nation in terms of job growth over a one-year period, with a 1.6% increase.
The Central Valley city came in 10th place in terms of employment growth over a five-year period, with a increase of 12.6%, solidifying its position as the highest-ranked California metro in the study.
According to Kendra Cooksey, founder and CEO of Kendra’s Boutique Inc., indicated that Fresno’s ranking challenges assumptions about where entrepreneurs can find opportunities in California.
“California’s inland labor markets are on a different growth trajectory compared to the state’s coastal metros,” Cooksey said in a news release.
Fresno’s high employment growth rate reflects a “regional economy that has been expanding consistently and broadly,” the CEO said.
Fresno had a total population of 735,378 in 2024, with an employment rate of 57.6%, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau data available.
Drone image looking north on Fulton Street in downtown Fresno. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com What are the best and worst cities for job growth?
The Texas metro area that includes Austin, Round Rock and San Marcos topped the list of cities with the most job growth, with a 42.4% increase in employment over 10 years.
In contrast, the New Orleans-Metairie in Louisiana metro area saw the biggest drop in employment over a 10-year period, with a 2.7% decrease.
A bird’s eye view of the Pacific Southwest Building and downtown Fresno at Fulton and Mariposa streets. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com What are the 10 fastest growing job markets in the US?
According to the study, these were the U.S. cities with the fastest-growing job markets.
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos in TexasRaleigh-Cary in North CarolinaLas Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas in NevadaNashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro in TennesseeOrlando-Kissimmee-Sanford in FloridaPhoenix-Mesa-Chandler in ArizonaSalt Lake City-Murray in UtahDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington in TexasCharlotte-Concord-Gastonia in North CarolinaFresnoIs Fresno a good city for small businesses?
Fresno ranked among the 10 most entrepreneurial cities in the United States in 2026, according to the GoDaddy Small Business Research Lab. The Central Valley city saw 4% in microbusiness growth in 2026, The Fresno Bee previously reported.
“More small and micro-businesses means more jobs created and greater household income on average, making communities stronger and more vibrant places to live and work – on their own terms,” the research lab said.
There were 74,598 small businesses in Fresno County, accounting for 99.95% of all businesses in 2022, according to research company.
How did study rank top metro areas for employment?
Kendra’s Boutique Inc. analysis involved a comprehensive evaluation of 56 metropolitan areas, based on employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Researchers assessed each metropolitan area across three timeframes — one year, five years, and 10 years — and calculated the percentage changes in employment relative to current figures reported.
The researchers assigned each city a composite score based on their ranked performance across all three periods and then ordered them from highest to the lowest to produce the final rankings.
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Gagandeep Singh is a service journalism reporter for The Fresno Bee. He holds a master’s degree in politics and global affairs from Columbia University. Prior to working at The Bee, he worked as a freelancer for CalMatters, BBC News and the Los Angeles Times. He focuses on migration, education, criminal justice and the South Asian diaspora in California.