Job Hunting? Hiring Is Up In These 5 Cities

Jan. 13, 2011 — -- Even though the December jobs report revealed a lower unemployment rate -- dropping to 9.4 percent from 9.8 percent the month before, which was the biggest monthly drop in a dozen years as 100,000 jobs were added to payrolls -- everyone wants to know where exactly the openings exist.

We asked Moody's Analytics and Monster.com to give us five cities where hiring is up -- and is expected to continue to rise. The industries responsible for the employment gains in these places may point to hot spots in other parts of the country too.

Portland: Portland is on an upswing thanks to technology. Intel, which creates computer processor and related products, is Oregon's largest employer. It has announced plans to build a new research and development facility in the Portland area and has invested $6 billion there. The ripple effect of that investment will be construction and manufacturing jobs, too. Portland is also a regional hub and so global trade has been on the rise as well.

Minneapolis: Minneapolis has already recovered more than half of the jobs it lost in the recession. Two driving forces are manufacturing and retail. Manufacturing is regaining steam because demand for products is staying ahead of production, which means new orders are growing. Company owners are feeling confident and are hiring to meet that demand. Plus, the number of retail jobs is growing, helped in no small part by the massive expansion of the Mall of America, which is currently underway.

Houston:The unemployment rate in Houston doubled to 8.6 percent, still lower than the national average. Yet oil and energy are keeping and creating jobs. Energy prices and demand are up, which boosts exploration, shipping, manufacturing - everything connected with the oil industry. And because things are doing well, people are moving to Houston, so we're seeing a ripple effect, pumping up the housing and health care market.