Lightcast Releases 2023 Talent Attraction Scorecard

Florida and Texas dominate, but Vermont breaks into top 10 thanks to post-COVID migration

(Moscow, ID) - December 7, 2023 - The ongoing impact of post-COVID worker migration has vaulted Vermont into the top 10 states for attracting and retaining workforces in the latest edition of Lightcast’s annual Talent Attraction Scorecard.

Florida and Texas remain the top two states for talent attraction, followed by Vermont at No. 3—a major leap up from last year, when it was at 30. Georgia is the other new addition to the list, coming in at No. 10, up from twelfth in 2022.

“Vermont leads in talent migration, driven by an influx of remote workers from neighboring states. This underscores the far-reaching influence of post-COVID patterns on shaping opportunities for communities eager to attract growth,” said Josh Wright, Executive Vice President of Growth at Lightcast.

The Lightcast Talent Attraction Scorecard, now in its eighth year, assesses states and counties on their ability to attract, develop, and retain a robust workforce, an essential element in economic development. Communities are assessed on six metrics: net migration, overall job growth, educational attainment, regional competitiveness, annual openings per capita, and skilled job growth. The elements are used to create a combined score.

Idaho, in fourth place overall, earned the No. 1 ranking in three categories: educational attainment, job growth, and skilled job growth.

Maricopa County, AZ, which includes Phoenix, remains first among large counties, as it has for six of the past seven years. Overall, Florida and Texas dominate the list of large counties (those with more than 100,000 residents). Besides Maricopa County, six of the top 10 large counties are in Texas, and the other three are in Florida.

Top 10 states 

1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Vermont
4. Idaho
5. North Carolina
6. Utah
7. Arizona
8. Tennessee
9. Nevada
10. Georgia

Top 10 Large Counties (populations greater than 100,000)

1. Maricopa County, AZ (Phoenix)

2. Collin County, TX (Dallas)

3. Travis County, TX (Austin)

4. Denton County, TX (Dallas)

5. Fort Bend County, TX (Houston)

6. Williamson County, TX (Austin)

7. Hillsborough County, FL (Tampa)

8. Lee County, FL (Fort Myers)

9. Polk County, FL (Lakeland)

10. Montgomery County, TX (Houston)

For more about the Talent Attraction Scorecard, including interactive features and a full list of rankings by categories, visit https://lightcast.io/resources/research/talent-scorecard

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Lightcast provides trusted global labor market data, analytics, and expert guidance that empowers communities, corporations, and learning providers to make informed decisions and navigate the increasingly complex world of work. With a database of more than one billion job postings and career profiles, our team provides best-in-class customer service with robust data, clear analysis, and expert guidance on skills, jobs, and opportunities.

Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, and Moscow, Idaho, Lightcast is active in more than 30 countries and has offices in the United Kingdom, Italy, New Zealand, and India. The company is backed by global private equity leader KKR. For more, visit www.lightcast.io.

Press contact: Scott Bittle

Email: media@lightcast.io