We all know that Austin is a great city for kids looking to date around or have a drink, but according to a new study, it's also among the top ten job markets for college grads.

Bizjournals, the national publisher of metropolitan business newspapers with branches in over forty cities, reports that current economic conditions couldn't be better for the million-plus college seniors entering the workforce this year.

"The outlook this year is very good," says Andrea Koncz, employment information manager at the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). "In 2002 and '03, we saw declines in hiring because of 9/11 and the economy. But in '04, hiring turned upward, and it's been growing ever since."

Austin ranks #7 in Bizjournal's Top 10 list, with an annual job growth of nearly two percent and a median monthly rent at a low $634.

"Twenty-nine percent of Austin's residents fit in the 18-34 age range. That's the highest concentration of young adults in any of the top-10 markets," says the Bizjournals study. "Many are attracted by the healthy economy. Austin has added 62,100 jobs in the past five years, roughly 1,000 every month."

They also point out that our overall income levels are lower than in the other cities listed (Las Vegas came out on top), but attribute this to the numbers-skewing university population.

Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston ranked 25th and 27th, respectively.

Photo by Patrick Dentler on flickr