Job growth in St. George outpaces major U.S. metros
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St. George, Utah, is among the nation's top metros for job growth, according to new data from jobs site Indeed.
Why it matters: Formerly a retirement town, the southern Utah city has more than doubled in size since 2000 and is attracting small business owners, tourists and remote workers.
State of play: The hottest job markets in the country aren't in big cities, with the labor market slowing in tech-heavy cities, particularly for white-collar professionals.
By the numbers: The number of job listings in St. George rose 55% from February 2020 to October 2025, per Indeed.
- Meanwhile, job listings in San Francisco dipped 37% and Seattle saw a 35% decline during the same period.
- Smaller markets, particularly those reliant on health care jobs, have remained resilient.
The big picture: The small metros that grew tended to have job markets more heavily focused on health care and leisure and hospitality, says Allison Shrivastava, an economist at the Indeed Hiring Lab.
- Those sectors accounted for more than 100% of net job gains so far in 2025, Bloomberg recently reported.
- St. George, a hotspot for outdoor enthusiasts known for its red rock formations and easy access to Zion National Park, relies heavily on its robust tourism industry.
Between the lines: The white-collar pullback is also partly due to Trump administration's job cuts and the hiring freeze in place for much of the year.
- The Washington, D.C., area has seen a 24% decline in job listings — driven by a White House push to cut headcount and a pullback in government contracting work.
The bottom line: The job market looks a lot like the real estate market; it's all about location, location, location.