The 10 worst U.S. cities for jobs and earning potential, according to new report

While fast-growing cities like Raleigh and Nashville boast thriving job markets and high earnings, other major U.S. cities are struggling with low employment and declining wages.

Checkr ranked the 100 largest U.S. cities based on employment opportunity and earning potential, using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the US Census Bureau, and the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Each city’s employment opportunity score is based on its unemployment rate, labor force growth, labor force size and percentage of jobs open. The earning potential score is sourced from the city’s real per capita personal income, 10-year income growth and the percentage of households earning more than $200,000.

According to Sam Radbil, research and content strategist at Checkr, the lowest-ranked cities on the list face a variety of economic challenges, including slow job growth, overreliance on declining industries, low median wages and high unemployment and poverty rates.

Though some of these cities may offer a more affordable cost of living, they often suffer from “stagnant” employment and draw in few new businesses, he says.

These 10 U.S. cities scored the lowest for job opportunities and earning potential, according to Checkr.

Bakersfield, CA
Scranton, PA
McAllen, TX
Fresno, CA
Memphis, TN
Jackson, MS
Rochester, NY
Toledo, OH
Augusta, GA
Spokane, WA

Bakersfield, Scranton and McAllen had particularly low scores on Checkr’s employment opportunity metric, Radbil says.

One major factor is a lack of high-growth industries. Bakersfield and Fresno are largely reliant on the agriculture and energy sectors, Radbil says, while Rust Belt cities like Scranton and Rochester are still suffering from the effects of industrial and manufacturing declines.

According to Radbil, the above industries also tend to require on-site work, which limits opportunities for remote workers.

Even in cities with more employment opportunities, a better job market doesn’t guarantee higher earnings.

“While jobs are difficult to find, it’s even more difficult to get paid the national average,” he says.

Unemployment is another important concern: of the 10 cities listed by Checkr, only Rochester had an unemployment rate below the national average of 4.2%.

According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Bakersfield and Fresno metro areas have two of the highest unemployment rates in the country, at 9.6% and 8.5%, respectively.

McAllen and Jackson fare little better, with unemployment rates of 6.4% and 6.2% each.

Overall, these cities struggle to attract and retain talent, Radbil says.

“There’s not a ton of new jobs being generated, and that can always limit the opportunity for a city to grow,” he says.

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Walmart exec shares the ultimate red flag she sees in employees: ‘Nobody’ will want to hire you

If you ask Donna Morris, there’s one behavior that’s the ultimate red flag an employee won’t get far in the workplace: when someone is a “Debbie Downer.”

Morris, 57, has been executive vice president and chief people officer at Walmart since 2020, helping shape the employee experience of 2.1 million workers since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Prior to her current role, she spent 17 years at Adobe in a variety of leadership positions — and throughout her career, she’s learned a thing or two about red flags in the office.

“Nobody wants [to hire] a Debbie Downer,” Morris tells CNBC Make It, adding that this kind of person is “constantly negative. You know they’re going to show up [and] they’re going to bring the problem, never the solution. I like people who bring the problem and a suggestion for how they might resolve [it.]”

A “Debbie Downer” can also be someone who’s a naysayer, sharing negative opinions about others’ ideas and goals, or regularly being a hindrance to new projects and perspectives. This could make it difficult for them to make the connections needed to climb the corporate ladder, or for their bosses and managers to trust them with new projects.

If your co-worker has this character trait, they’re “only going to support you to a restricted limit,” Juliette Han, a Harvard-trained neuroscientist, told CNBC Make It in June 2023. “They need you to stay within a short leash, and might discourage you from meeting new people in the company or going after new projects if it doesn’t benefit them directly.”

That doesn’t mean you should practice toxic optimism, pretending everything is fine when your team is facing difficult circumstances, for example. It’s unnatural and unrealistic for someone to be happy all the time, Morris says. Similarly, a continuous negative spiral could be a signal that you’re in the wrong job or company, she adds.

How to actually get ahead

There are a couple attributes that separate the most highly successful employees to those who fall short, says Morris.

She thinks highly of workers who “deliver what you are expecting at the time that you’re expecting,” she says. “You’re better to deliver early than to deliver late, and you’re better to deliver more than less.”

“Another green flag is they’re open to opportunities, and they put their hand up to take on more,” she adds. “Or they bring a problem with the remedy or request help in a timely manner, as opposed to the house is on fire.”

You can show you have this kind of team player, self-starter attitude by offering help even when you’re not asked for it, like volunteering to mentor the new intern or pitching an idea that solves a problem your boss has been dealing with.

Demonstrating radical intellectual curiosity, like researching a new AI tool or a new software your competitors are using, then sharing your findings with your boss or manager, also goes a long way, according to Michael Ramlett, CEO of global data intelligence firm Morning Consult.

And if you’re willing to help your colleagues along the way, acting as a mentor and sharing the things you’ve learned, that’s the icing on the cake, Morris says.

“People who you see are actually helping others [are a] total green flag.”

I’m a neurologist—to keep my brain safe and healthy, I never eat these 4 foods

Doctors will often tell you to avoid processed foods or foods that contain high amounts of sugar or saturated fat.

Their advice is sound, since consuming these foods frequently can increase your risk of developing chronic diseases, including neurological conditions like stroke and dementia.

However, as a neurologist, I can tell you that there are some other surprising and lesser-known foods you should avoid in order to prevent serious neurological issues.

I never eat these four foods:

1. Canned foods that appear damaged

If a can is bulging, cracked, or severely dented, it should raise an alarm. It might be a sign of botulinum contamination, which can cause botulism.

The botulinum toxin is one of the most potent neurotoxins known to science. It blocks the release of a neurotransmitter that helps your brain tell your muscles to move. The result can be limb paralysis, blurred vision, and, in severe cases, respiratory failure. Without an antidote, botulism can be fatal.

What makes this toxin particularly dangerous is that you can’t detect it by smell, taste, or sight. Unfortunately, heating the food in a contaminated can may not be enough to neutralize the toxin.

Remember this motto: “When in doubt, throw it out.”

2. Certain reef fish, especially in tropical areas

I love eating fish and I encourage my patients to consume varieties like salmon, sardines, and trout, which are high in omega-3 fatty acids and low in mercury.

However, I advise caution when it comes to larger tropical fish such as barracuda, grouper, sturgeon, moray eel, and amberjack. They may contain a neurotoxin called ciguatoxin, especially if they were caught in places with coral reefs like the Caribbean and the South Pacific.

I’ve personally seen a few cases of ciguatera poisoning, and symptoms can include a sensation of coldness, burning, tingling, dizziness, or even vivid nightmares. Because some of these symptoms are non-specific, it can be easily misdiagnosed, especially without a detailed patient history.

The kicker is that ciguatoxin is heat-stable, meaning that no matter how long you cook the fish, the toxin remains intact. And like the botulinum toxin, it doesn’t have a taste or smell.

Try to limit your intake of large predatory fish, avoid certain parts like liver, roe, and heads, and be particularly cautious in endemic areas.

3. Uncooked or undercooked pork

The risk here is neurocysticercosis, a condition caused by ingesting the eggs of the pork tapeworm. The tapeworm’s larvae can travel to the brain and cause a variety of symptoms, including seizures, increased intracranial pressure, and even dementia-like symptoms. Brain imaging typically shows multiple cysts in the person’s brain.

Neurocysticercosis is one of the leading causes of acquired epilepsy worldwide. And while it isn’t very common in developed countries, I have seen cases in the U.S.

So if you travel frequently to or spend significant time in developing countries — or anywhere with poor sanitation — cook pork thoroughly and practice good hand hygiene.

4. Unpasteurized milk

When milk is pasteurized, it’s treated with heat to eliminate microorganisms that can cause disease. The process does reduce the concentrations of certain vitamins, but the impact is minimal.

Raw milk, on the other hand, is a well-recognized source of pathogens such as listeria, E. coli, and salmonella. Drinking it causes approximately 840 times more illnesses and 45 times more hospitalizations than pasteurized milk, despite being consumed by a small minority of the population.

Current data shows that children, pregnant women, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals are at highest risk for severe outcomes, including hemolytic uremic syndrome, miscarriage, and death.

I’ve personally seen cases of irreversible damage to the brain leading to seizures, meningitis, and coma that were caused by pathogens from unpasteurized products.

And claims that drinking unpasteurized milk lowers rates of asthma, cancer, or lactose intolerance? Those are unsubstantiated.

Of course, you should always consult with a health care professional before making any drastic changes to your diet. The key is to be more mindful and aware of what we put into our bodies, especially if it can be damaging to our brain health.

Baibing Chen is a double-boarded certified neurologist and epileptologist practicing at the University of Michigan. Find him on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

Relationship expert’s 6 rules for couples: ‘If you do them all, you’ll be happier than most’

After 23 years of marriage and raising kids together, I’ve learned that being a great partner involves structure and intention.

I’ve walked the path myself, from being a breadwinning husband who did little at home to becoming the go-to household manager in a marriage with three kids and a powerhouse executive spouse. Through my platform, Modern Husbands, I also help couples build the systems they need to manage money and domestic responsibilities as a team.

Couples in the most successful relationships, including my wife and I, do six things for each other without question. If you do them all, you’ll be happier than most.

1. They divide tasks by skills, not gender

Men today face mixed signals: Be the breadwinner, but also do half the housework (and don’t expect any recognition). That confusion leads to imbalance at home.

In our household, we assign responsibilities based on skills, passions, and goals — not gender. I manage our finances because it’s my professional background. I also cook because I love it.

What matters is creating a system that reflects your family’s goals, not outdated roles.

2. They complement each other’s career goals

Throughout our marriage, we have taken turns assuming the roles of “gardener” and “rose.”

The gardener nourishes the environment at home so the rose can blossom in their career. The gardener is the domestic safety net who handles unplanned problems. That might look like being the “parent on call” for doctor appointments and emergencies.

Deliberately and thoughtfully sharing supportive roles in each other’s career dreams can prevent the silent resentment that arises when one partner repeatedly makes small, unplanned sacrifices for the sake of the other’s career and the household.

3. They have regular family ‘business meetings’

Just like a weekly business meeting, having regular check-ins with your partner can change everything.

Find a quiet time, when emotions are low and focus is high. Walk together, grab coffee, or sit down for 15 minutes to align on schedules, financial goals, and responsibilities.

If you want to take it further, plan annual retreats to reflect, set goals, and recommit to working as a team.

4. They establish systems and environments that make success easier

Success in a relationship shouldn’t rely on constant effort. Set up systems that make good decisions the default.

A few examples: Set joint savings goals, then automate transfers to a high-yield account at a different bank; delete spending apps from your phone; and turn off auto-fill on social media to reduce impulse buys.

I often recommend utilizing household management systems like Fair Play to assign clear roles, promote an equitable and efficient distribution of the mental load, and prevent miscommunication. The Fair Play system consists of three key elements:

Conception: Generating the idea or identifying the need for a task in the household or family system.
Planning: Mapping out the steps, resources, and timeline needed to complete the task effectively.
Execution: Carrying out the task from start to finish with full ownership and follow-through.

5. They talk about everyday life

We have financial and domestic labor systems for our home to give ourselves more time to spend with each other, to talk about everyday life. When we talk about our day, we put our phones away and we stick to the rule of not speaking about the business of our home.

The approach we like to use on our evening walks after dinner is the rose, thorn, and bud prompt. We each share the highlight of our day (rose), any issues or frustrations (thorn), and the time we spent investing in our future (bud).

6. They keep their promises

It takes trust to work together to manage money and the home. Take, for instance, a spending limit that is not honored or picking up a prescription from the grocery store. Failing to follow through can have real consequences.

Continually breaking the promise that comes with a family budget or doing chores can lead to resentment and even contempt.

The most important thing to remember is that great relationships aren’t built on luck. They’re built on shared goals and a willingness to evolve together.

Brian Page is the founder of Modern Husbands, a company dedicated to helping couples manage both financial and home responsibilities as a team. He holds a master’s degree in education and is certified as both an Accredited Financial Counselor® and a Fair Play Certified® domestic labor specialist.

27-year-old first-grade teacher lived paycheck to paycheck due to her impulsive spending

Maddie Baker, 27, will be the first to admit she was an impulsive spender when she started teaching kindergarteners six years ago.

She bought coffee at least once a day, frequently shopped for new clothes and spent lavishly on vacations she says she “probably had no business going on.”

“Any day that I had a hard day at teaching, I would immediately go from my job to a store,” the now first-grade teacher tells CNBC Make It. “The way I was coping with hard days was by spending money.”

Baker isn’t alone. Almost half of American consumers say they make purchases to boost their mood, according to LendingTree survey data released in July. Emotional spending isn’t always bad, either. It can provide temporary comfort or a needed mood boost. However, it can also lead to financial strain.

Baker says her impulsive spending got so out of hand, she found herself in “horrible cycles” of living paycheck to paycheck to avoid going into credit card debt. Nationally, almost three-quarters of emotional shoppers admit they’ve spent more than they intended, and 44% say it’s negatively impacted their financial well-being, LendingTree found.

It took Baker three years to get her spending under control, she says. Today, she’s very intentional with how she spends her money and has even developed new hobbies from habits she’s built to save money.

‘It became so stressful’

“I remember just waking up every single day, and the stress of finances was just really getting me down,” says Baker, who was making around $50,000 a year at the time. “It became so stressful.”

Nearly Baker’s entire paycheck would go directly toward paying off her credit card. Because she was paid once a month, that often left her with little to live on — forcing her to rely on the card for new expenses and trapping her in a constant cycle of borrowing from herself.

She tried everything to earn extra cash. She tutored kids during her summer breaks, tried selling her clothes and donating her plasma, but none of it seemed to sustain her lifestyle, she says.

Baker got her spending under control three years into teaching through a tax refund that allowed her to pay off her credit card bill without using her paycheck. Now, she keeps enough in her checking account to pay her credit card bill every month without having to rely on an incoming paycheck.

“It took a total restart and being tired of the cycle I was in, in order to do something about it,” she says.

How to curb wasteful spending

Young adults are particularly susceptible to overspending when they’re online or bombarded with bad news, Ylva Baeckström, a senior lecturer in finance at King’s Business School, said in 2024. Overwhelming feelings can lead to unhealthy spending habits as a way to cope or find relief, Baeckström said.

To avoid overspending, “one of the biggest things you can do is take a beat,” Keith Barron, a personal finance expert and former head of marketing at Jenius Bank, said in 2024.

Rather than heading straight to checkout when shopping online, try adding the item to a wish list and waiting a day or two. This brief delay can help you decide whether you genuinely want or need the item, Barron said.

From saving money to finding new hobbies

Today, Baker is working toward building an emergency fund and saving for a house, and says she’s way more intentional about what she decides to spend money on.

On top of learning how to spend less impulsively, she says she’s found alternatives to save money and a side hustle creating videos on TikTok to bring in more income. Her silver lining: Many of the activities that started as a way to save have become hobbies as well.

She enjoys painting her own nails, making lattes at home and meal prepping to avoid eating out. On TikTok, she earns up to $2,000 a month from sharing videos about her life as a teacher.

“All of these things happened because I had the mindset of, ‘I need to save more money, and I need to spend less money,’” she says.