Nashville ranks well in job growth
Nashville Business Journal

Nashville 52nd among the 200 largest metropolitan areas in terms of job growth. That's one of the findings of the Milken Institute's annual "Best Performing Cities" report, which identifies where jobs are being created.

The index ranks cities by their ability to create and sustain jobs as well as by salary growth and technology output development.

Nashville ranked 80th in five-year job growth and 73rd in job growth from July of 2004 to July of last year.

Florida cities dominated the economic think tank's index for a second consecutive year, despite the state's recovery from hurricanes that buffeted it in 2004 and 2005. Top of the list was the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville area, followed by the Fort Myers-Cape Coral and the Naples-Marco Island regions.

The report said the cities that ranked highly on the index exhibited strong, growing service sectors; healthy tourism economies; growing populations; and an increase in retirees.
Of the bottom 10 cities, five are in Michigan and four are in Ohio. At the very bottom of the list was Flint, Mich.