L.A. moving on up in new Milken study

Repeat after me: We're number 135! We're number 135! The L.A. metro area does have a ways to go on the Milken Institute's annual list of best-performing cities, but the 135 ranking was 23 spots higher than in 2010. NY is ranked 75th; Chicago 156th. Among the largest metros, L.A. is sixth.From the study:

High unemployment persisted, with a seasonally adjusted rate of 12.4 percent as of September 2011 vs. 12.5 percent a year before. But there is hope: The county added more than 39,200 (non-farm) jobs from August 2011 to September 2011 for a year-over-year net gain of 31,800 jobs. A key driver has been the resurgence of international trade. From October 2010 to October 2011, the Port of Los Angeles saw a 28.1 percent increase in export traffic and expects 2011 to set a record.52 In response, water transportation employment has more than doubled since 2005, adding 1,600 jobs; support activities for transportation created 1,880 jobs; and truck transportation added 390 jobs.

Texas continues to be a favorite among the Milken folks, with the state's metro areas taking four of the top five positions and nine of the top 25. Among the reasons: trade, a favorable business climate, and lots of military bases. San Antonio was in the top spot.

San Antonio, TX
El Paso, TX
Fort Collins‐Loveland, CO
Austin‐Round Rock, TX
Killeen‐Temple‐Fort Hood, TX
Salt Lake City, UT
Anchorage, AK
Huntsville, AL
Provo‐Orem, UT
Kennewick‐Richland‐Pasco, WA
Charleston‐North Charleston, SC
Cambridge‐Newton‐Framingham, MA
Cedar Rapids, IA
Raleigh‐Cary, NC
Ogden‐Clearfield, UT
Houston‐Sugar Land‐Baytown, TX
Washington‐Arlington‐Alexandria, DC‐VA‐MD‐WV
McAllen‐Edinburg‐Mission, TX
Little Rock‐North Little Rock‐Conway, AR
Dallas‐Plano‐Irving, TX
Bethesda‐Gaithersburg‐Frederick, MD
Omaha‐Council Bluffs, NE‐IA
Madison, WI
Fort Worth‐Arlington, TX
Lubbock, TX

Source: Milken Institute