For the “starving” artist, the state of the economy probably feels like it’s the Great Depression all over again. But for the “smart” artist, this is just another financial obstacle that can be overcome with determination and maybe a job. If you are that “smart” one, you may want to check out the state where the job market is not feeling the effects of the economy NOT ONE BIT!

According to MSNBC.com, the state of Texas holds the top 3 cities where employment rankings are the highest in the U.S.. Houston, Austin, and Dallas-Fort Worth have been able to beat out 97 other cities due to the recent rise in oil prices and higher energy costs.

“The state’s natural resources and mining industry, helped by higher oil prices, posted an annual employment growth rate of 6.4 percent from June 2007 to June 2008 and ranked first among Texas industries in employment-growth rate,” said a midyear report from the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University.

Also, Texas was able to rank at the top because of it’s housing market. The city of Houston, for instance, ranked in the top 10 most-affordable housing markets. Dallas and Austin ranked in at no.15 and no.22.

Coming in at no.4 for top cities with great employment opportunities was Raleigh, North Carolina. No. 5 was Seattle, Washington.