A recent survey listed Gainesville as one of the top 10 cities for millennial job seekers in Florida.
The analysis by NerdWallet focused on the millennial population, millennial growth, payrolls, average price of rent and the unemployment rate, said Spencer Tierney, data analyst for NerdWallet. Of the 93 cities surveyed, Gainesville ranked sixth, which is just below Miami.
“It doesn’t surprise me that Gainesville is high in the rankings,” said Drew Straitt, a UF criminology senior.
UF plays a huge role in the millennial population and the economy in general, Tierney said.
“Without the University of Florida in Gainesville, the total economy would be affected, and it could drop it in the rankings,” he said.
Andrew Romero, president of the Alachua County Emerging Leaders — a nonprofit organization, strives to make Gainesville a thriving community for young professionals — said Gainesville has numerous resources beyond the university.
“We want to show UF students that there is more to life in Gainesville outside the university after graduation,” he said.
The organization has been in Gainesville for almost 10 years, Romero said. Its aim is to help UF students achieve their career goals.
“Research has shown that young people look at the city first then look for a job second,” said Bryan Eastman, the organization’s public policy chair. “Gainesville is rich in culture with many opportunities to experience, which easily puts us as the number one place to work.”
[A version of this story ran on page 9 on 1/30/2015 under the headline “GNV among best for millennial jobs" The print version incorrectly listed Bryan Eastman's last name as Easton.]
