EducationMon 20 Jul 20

Survey Lists Best Cities for Jobs During Covid-19

The unemployment rates and financial health of cities have been impacted by Covid-19 at an unparalleled rate, with a new study revealing which of the globe’s cities are best managing their pandemic-struck economies.

The latest data released from FutureLearn, an education platform jointly owned by The Open University and online job search site Seek, shows the impact Covid-19 is having on cities around the world.

The report ranks its already-benchmarked top 100 global cities, against more recent data covering everything from economics, unemployment, the estimated impact of the pandemic on the economy, policies, plans in place to support failing industries, quality of life and gender equality in the rankings to find the globe’s top cities for employment.

FutureLearn chief executive Simon Nelson says the index offers insight into the cities that are best primed for economic stability and potential career opportunities.

“While gathering data for the study, we witnessed the impact of this pandemic on the economy in real-time,” Nelson said.

“The data that will come out in the coming months will illustrate the true impact of this crisis on the job market as businesses start to reopen, nations slowly go back to work, and people start rebuilding their lives.”

Which cities are best managing the post-Covid economy for jobs?

Rank	City	Country	Total
1	Singapore	Singapore	100
2	Copenhagen	Denmark	95.16
3	Helsinki	Finland	90.50
4	Oslo	Norway	89.14
5	Dubai	UAE	85.18
6	Gothenburg	Sweden	81.18
7	Malmö	Sweden	77.95
8	San Francisco	USA	77.30
9	Munich	Germany	74.94
10	Geneva	Switzerland	72.78
11	Zurich	Switzerland	72.62
12	Hong Kong	HKSAR	69.10
13	Stuttgart	Germany	68.95
14	Dresden	Germany	68.91
15	Los Angeles	USA	68.22
16	Seoul	South Korea	67.36
17	New York	USA	66.40
18	Stockholm	Sweden	66.13
19	Frankfurt	Germany	64.88
20	Tokyo	Japan	64.81
48	Perth	Australia	46.32
52	Sydney	Australia	43.77
78	Adelaide	Australia	32.94
80	Melbourne	Australia	30.44
82	Brisbane	Australia	28.25

_{^{^ Source: Futurelearn}}

The data was collected relating to pre-coronavirus GDP growth rate, and also measures the number of new startups, to illustrate if a city is a hub for innovation.

With the pandemic impacting unemployment, wellbeing and the financial health of cities, the education platform reported that figures have changed dramatically from week to week.

“We hope this new research can offer those experiencing hard times some hope for the future,” Nelson said.

“With global travel essentially ground to a halt currently, it might seem strange and daunting to consider moving city or country for a job.”

The final index paints a picture of the cities that excelled in job offerings pre-coronavirus, and the cities where the response to the pandemic means their economy could continue to grow throughout the uncertain period.

“A location can only be considered good for jobs if it caters to all people equally, we included statistics on the gender wage gap, and legislation, and women’s opportunities for career progression,” the report notes.

Perth was Australia’s top city ranking at 48th place, while Brisbane rounded out the five Australian cities at 82 on the top 100 global cities ranking list.

The digital learning platform was founded in 2012 by The Open University and is now jointly owned by The Open University in the UK and ASX-listed Seek Group.

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