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Fifth Annual Talent
Attraction Scorecard

Talent Migration and Changing
Cities—The 2020 Shift

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This year’s Talent Attraction Scorecard unpacks how early data suggests existing trends in remote work and large city out-migration have been accelerated by COVID-19. Whether succeeding in their efforts or struggling, the pandemic is forcing communities to respond to shifting migration and telework, and its impact on talent attraction.

How to use the Dashboard

Now with five years of rankings, the Talent Attraction Scorecard dashboard reveals community trends in the competition for talent. Along with your community’s overall score, rankings in each of our Talent Attraction Index inputs are included. This information allows you to better understand your unique performance in talent attraction and adjust programs and initiatives accordingly. For those without formal strategies in place, the dashboard can be used to establish a baseline, understand regional trends, and set goals for improvement.

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Scorecard Highlights

  • Large metros are struggling to retain talent, with eight of the 10 most populated U.S. counties all ranking in the bottom half.
  • Midsized markets ranked well, with counties between 250,000 - 999,999 making up more than half of the top 100.
  • Pre-existing trends of rising remote work and slowing population growth of large cities have been accelerated by the 2020 pandemic.
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What people are saying

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Working Nation logo

Midsize cities are welcoming skilled workers with open arms

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Phoenix Business Journal logo

Maricopa tops list for talent attraction among nation's largest counties, report shows

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Newark Advocate Logo

Licking County 26th among nation's large counties for attracting talent

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Big city talent markets were getting hit pre-pandemic

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Regional Success

  • Four Texas counties ranked in the top 10
  • 12 Florida counties ranked in the top 40
  • Of the top 10 large counties, Fulton County, GA (Atlanta) is the biggest riser since 2016, climbing 108 spots
  • Of the top 10 small counties, Winkler County, TX (Kermit) is the biggest riser since 2016, climbing 369 spots
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Download the 2020 Talent Attraction Scorecard

Download our guide, Talent Attraction Strategies for 2021

To help your community adapt to the disruptions of 2020, download the companion guide with near and long-term strategies for building a talent pool in the wake of COVID.

Have questions about what this data
means for your community?

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