Best place to work? San Diego is No. 2

City ranked close to No. 1 New York
By Roger Showley Union-Tribune Staff Writer

San Diego came in at No. 2 on a list of cities people would want to move to for a dream job, while large numbers of people ranked New York both first and last.

Most favored

1. New York

2. San Diego

3. San Francisco

4. Las Vegas

5. Los Angeles

Least favored

1. New York

2. Detroit

3. Los Angeles

4. New Orleans

5. Chicago

Source: Human Capital Institute SAN DIEGO —



Hey, San Diego, don’t mope about falling home prices, rising unemployment and fogged-in Lindbergh Field.
According to the Human Capital Institute, a Washington, D.C., think tank, this is one of the top places where America’s dream-job seekers want to live.

The city ranked second, slightly behind New York City, among 46 metro areas that 3,000 survey respondents considered as places to live and work. But more people rated San Diego their first or second choice, with New York making up the difference with a lot of third-place votes.

And the Big Apple also got the most votes when people rated where they would least like to live and work. Main reason: the high cost of living.

“San Diego is great because it never shows up among the least-favored places,” said Allan Schweyer, executive director of the institute, a think tank for human resources professionals.

San Diego’s top attribute, according to 77 percent of the respondents ranking it at the top of their must-move-to list, was its environment – climate, parks and proximity to the ocean and mountains. The other favorables: image (cleanliness, civic pride, reputation) and entertainment options.
New York, on the other hand, got top marks from 51 percent for its entertainment options, as well as opportunities and ease of transportation.

Overall, New York received 406 first-, second-or third-place votes, San Diego got 395 and third-place San Francisco 327. Last year, when the group did the survey for the first time, San Diego was first, followed by San Francisco and New York.

While San Diego housing prices still are higher than the national average, Julie Meier Wright, president of the San Diego Economic Development Corp., said the declines over the past three years have made the area more competitive.

She said she also was pleased to see that the survey was aimed at determining the factors that would compel professionals in their mid-20s and 30s, earning more than $100,000, to relocate.
“That’s exactly the kind of work force that some of our most important industries need to attract,” Wright said.
However, Schweyer said the top attributes sought by would-be employees are not necessarily those touted by potential employers – education, for instance.
“There’s a huge disconnect,” he said, with recruiters touting an area’s educational institutions and job seekers, who are finished with schooling and looking for something else.

Nevertheless, moving to a better job inevitably requires compromises, and some people will move to No. 9 ranked Chicago even if it also ranks as fifth least desirable.