10 US Cities Bursting With Jobs

Recession—that's a big-city thing, right? Several mid-size cities around the US are making an argument for their economic superiority, boasting job growth higher than the 1.5% national average in 2011. You may not know these cities well, but the Christian Science Monitor recommends them:

1. Columbus, Indiana: No, not Ohio's Columbus: Indiana's version had 10% growth from 2009 to 2010, making it the best economic rebounder during the Great Recession. Jobs are up 6.4%.

2. Casper, Wyoming: Nearly a quarter of its 75,000 residents have a bachelor's degree. Employment is up 5.9%.
3. Blacksburg-Christianburg-Radford, Virginia: Service-sector jobs have played a huge role in reducing unemployment from 9.6% to 6.3% since 2009. Job growth: 5.2%
4. Sandusky, Ohio: This solidly middle-class city between Toledo and Cleveland has been shrinking for a decade, but employment is up 5.1%.

See the Monitor's intriguing list here. (Or see which age group is seeing the most job growth in the US.)