WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - Slow job growth from 2011 to 2012 has led to a drop for Wilmington in the "Best-Performing Cities Index" as measured by the Milken Institute.
Milken is a non-profit and non-partisan think tank that measures economic challenges.
In 2011, Wilmington ranked 76 out of the top 200 metropolitan areas for creating and sustaining jobs and growth in the economy. Milken takes into account jobs, wages, salaries and technology growth. For 2012, Wilmington ranked 114.
It appears that negative job growth most significantly triggered the change in Wilmington. Milken reports that job growth was -2.55% from May 2011 to May 2012, which ranks 196th.
Wilmington ranks 148th among one-year wage and salary growth, but 43rd over a five year period (2005-2010).
The drop is not among the biggest in the index. That honor belongs to Little Rock, Arkansas, which dropped 132 spots from 19 to 151.
Raleigh improved to number 3 on the list of best–performing cities, which is up from number 14 last year.
Copyright 2013 WECT. All rights reserved.
