Have You Heard?

WICHITA — No doubt hundreds if not thousands of laid-off workers would disagree with this, but U.S. News & World Report has named Wichita one of the top 10 best places to find a job this year.

Along with acknowledging that there are “job seekers as frustrated in these 10 cities as in others,” the magazine also says that every American city has been affected by the economic downturn. And the top 10 cities don’t necessarily have sharp job growth compared to others in the study of 2,000 cities.

But the magazine says the top cities have had a certain steadiness in the face of tough times, with below-average numbers for unemployment (Wichita has 11 percent unemployment; the greater metro area has 9.9 percent) and some job growth dating to 2000.

Also, cities were chosen for their range of opportunities across a variety of industries.

That was one of the reasons Wichita was chosen.

While noting that aviation is suffering, the magazine cites Wichita’s strong health care sector and employment numbers rising within education and health services.

Also, it says, “The Wichita housing market has resisted the wild swings in value that have done so much damage to other U.S. cities. The city even managed to add jobs last year.”