Should we move to USA??

[macemesmum]

Hi hope this is in the right spot, I am living in Australia with my AMerican husband and 2 daughters who have been classified as Americans born overseas (we registered them at the US consulate in Western Australia). My husband has both his parents in Colorado and they are great in laws, I desperately want to emigrate to USA we have been there 3 times for extended holidays but husband is really worried about the job ,market there, is he right to be, he works in transport here and we make an ok living with one wage but our interest rates for homes are around 9% and petrol is $6.80 a gallon and we love america!! I am worried because on these boards which i frequent everyday it seems that everyone thinks usa is going into a recession is this right! The food and clothes here are ridiculously high but heathcare is free in public hospitals i had a heart operation last year completley for free. I guess I am wondering from you guys is what is in the media really the case are a lot of people losing jobs or is it only localised within certain industries and is health care really expensive there, we would have a lot of money to come with ie buy a house in colorado out right but im worried about the long term thanks for any help and for listening to me ramble!

[Palooka]

Uh....I would stay there for now if it's working.

[MomToTwoBoys]

I moved from the US to Canada back in 2002 when the economy was suffering alot after 9/11. I know that it hasn't been the same since and as of late, it really has gotten worse. It's now affecting the economy of neighboring countries and in turn, the world markets. The Canadian economy was pretty strong and then when talk of a recession in the US came to light, the economy here started to falter.

I would not recommend moving to the US at this time, unless the cost of living in Australia far exceeds what it is in the US. The job market is pretty unstable and lots of layoffs are happening, plus the housing market is volatile and the cost of food/gas is going up. I know alot of people are having trouble coping, even people with degrees in jobs that they thought were pretty stable.

[macemesmum]

Thanks momtotwoboys thats what i was wondering, the job market is great here but the cost of most things is extremely high cars, food, clothes books entertainment and houses, but althought the cost is a lot cheaper in usa i wasnt sure how the job market reallyl was over there and that was making dh nervous when i was reading things on this site about a lot of layoffs, thanks for your input much appreciated

[Peaches]

Remember also, that while the cost of living may be lower in the U.S. (for now), you would probably have to contribute to the cost of your health insurance, which would vary depending on the benefits your husband would get with his job. Also, you probably wouldn't be covered for anything related to your heart, since that would most likely be considered a pre-existing condition. So, if you required treatment again, it would come out of your own pocket. My mother had heart surgery last year, followed by a 5 day hospital stay. The bill came out at around $200,000. Luckily, she was covered.

[Greebo]

The media has been overstating the negatives in the economy. We are not in a recession, nor is it likely that we will enter one in 2008. In 4Q07, GDP growth was 0.4%, and in 1Q08 it went up to 0.9%. This is very slow, but it is not a recession unless GDP actually goes down for two consecutive quarters, so unless 2Q08 changes direction and goes down again, its unlikely 2008 will be a recession year at all.

THe housing market is volatile and extremely down in three major areas: California, Florida, Minnesota. There are also a few cities that are down. However, in other areas, the market is up. Overall, the market is actually flat. Real estate is a regional market, and the media mistakenly treats it as a national one, which is plain stupidity on their part. However, bad news means good ratings, so maybe they're not actually that stupid...

Regarding health insurance - yes, pre-ex conditions are a problem, however someone else posted some pretty compelling info that even with a pre-ex, if your husband works for 6 months at a new job, then the insurance MUST take you on, by law. THats something I suggest you research further, because I don't have all the facts on that. However, it does mean that your heart condition would only be a problem for 6 months until you get coverage, if that information about legal requirements is correct.

So - if the law info is right, and if hubby can step right into a job with decent benefits, and you can afford the transition, then I'm willing to go against the trend with those conditions and say, "go for it".

[earthymom]

Ultimately, you will have to decide on rather "emotional" reasons -- like raising your children near your husband's family, or embarking on a great "adventure" like so many immigrants before you, or dissatisfaction with where you live now, or maybe your husband is home-sick (though you might become homesick here). It will be emotional reasons that tip the balance.

Ecomonimc reasons for coming are very risky unless you currently face a dire economic situation which would be better here. People with skills that are in high demand have a better economic chance coming here. But for most people, starting over from scratch -- even if they come with savings or the ability to buy a house -- is not an easy economic option whether they are moving to a different town or to a different country.

Thursday I interviewed seven people (20+ applied but only seven go interviews) for two job openings. One applicant has 30 years of job history -- he's been a trolley bus mechanic, a factory assembly line worker, and more recently a fork lift operator. He had his last job for a little over 8 years and was let go due to downsizing. He wasn't laid off -- they won't be offering him his job back. The company thanked him for his "service" and said they won't be needing him any more. At his last job he was making $21.50/hour and had a small 401K type retirement fund and basic medical insurance. He hasn't had a steady job (just odds and ends) for months.

I offered him a job starting at $10/hour, going up to $11/hour by the end of the first year working on a loading dock -- loading semi-trucks. He will not be "guaranteed" 40 hours a week. He may get 72 hours one week and 30 a week the next three because work load will/does fluctuate. Also, we are not offering any "benefits" -- he can purchase a group insurance plan but the company does not contribute to it so it will be around $350 every two weeks for bare bones family coverage (most employees opt to take their chances, they just can't afford it). When I explained all this to the applicant, he nearly gulped. He has a family -- he needs to work. I felt he will be a "good employee" and sent him off to get set up for a physical and drug screen.

It used to be that the majority of applicants were young -- in their early twenties. Now I get people who took the GM "buy outs" thinking they'd enjoy a cash windfall and find another "decent" paying job. But they run out of money and "decent" paying jobs are hard to come by. I get people who had their own businesses that went under or who have always worked and never thought they'd be unemployed.

BTW, we've been paying $10/hour to start since about 1999 and I don't forsee us raising that any time in the near future. We aren't letting people go, but we also aren't replacing people one-for-one when someone retires or quits. The cost of fuel is causing some serious belt-tightening and business is generally down because our customers are also having to scale back because of costs.

Greenbo is right that if your husband can step right into a good (secure) job with "decent benefits" all would be well. But I don't see many of those jobs available in my area (Ohio).

[PrairieRose]

You know, we live in a part of the U.S. that hasn't been affected by much of what's reported in the news regarding the mortgage crisis and all that so maybe I'm not the best person to answer........I do think that if you come prepared, have a job to step into, some savings to lean on.....I'm thinking you'll be fine. (you have to be prepared to work hard for a good while though....)

[mombottoo]

Personally I think if it is what you want to do then you should do it. The US has always had cycles and our country does tend to pull back out of slumps realitively fast...although I must say this time around is taking a bit longer.

I love my country and even with all of its ups & downs I couldn't imagine ever living in a different country. Jobs are available, but the ones that are either don't pay a living wage or require education/experience.

I would check the job market in the locale you would like to live & the housing costs. Right now you can probably get a lot of house for very little money...housing slump is in play here. Medical...unless your hubby gets a great job, with great benefits you are going to get screwed on that front. We do not have universal coverage for all citizens and many go uninsured or under-insured...I'm one of those, I have no health coverage...but, luckily I'm pretty healthy right this second.

I say go with your heart...

[Greebo]

*sigh*

There is no N in my name...why do so many people automatically stick an N in my name?

[inneedofhope]

i do have a friend from Australia who has told me about the differences in raising kids in the States and in Australia. From what she's talked about, you might be doing better right where you are. If you really want to explore a move, I'd definitely be sending dh on some interviews here and see what kind of offers he gets. The health insurance alone might be too much. Also the early education and childcare situations may vary. I'd do alot of thinking and weighing options in the particular state or town you'd be considering moving to.

[frugalfriend]

The media has been overstating the negatives in the economy. We are not in a recession, nor is it likely that we will enter one in 2008. In 4Q07, GDP growth was 0.4%, and in 1Q08 it went up to 0.9%. This is very slow, but it is not a recession unless GDP actually goes down for two consecutive quarters, so unless 2Q08 changes direction and goes down again, its unlikely 2008 will be a recession year at all.

THe housing market is volatile and extremely down in three major areas: California, Florida, Minnesota. There are also a few cities that are down. However, in other areas, the market is up. Overall, the market is actually flat. Real estate is a regional market, and the media mistakenly treats it as a national one, which is plain stupidity on their part. However, bad news means good ratings, so maybe they're not actually that stupid...

I heard Dave Ramsey say the same thing.

The media do make everything out to be much worse than it actually is.

[earthymom]

*sigh*

There is no N in my name...why do so many people automatically stick an N in my name?

Sorry Maybe it would be easier to leave the "n" out if you told us what Greebo stands for.

[Nishu]

The media has been overstating the negatives in the economy. We are not in a recession, nor is it likely that we will enter one in 2008. In 4Q07, GDP growth was 0.4%, and in 1Q08 it went up to 0.9%. This is very slow, but it is not a recession unless GDP actually goes down for two consecutive quarters, so unless 2Q08 changes direction and goes down again, its unlikely 2008 will be a recession year at all.

THe housing market is volatile and extremely down in three major areas: California, Florida, Minnesota. There are also a few cities that are down. However, in other areas, the market is up. Overall, the market is actually flat. Real estate is a regional market, and the media mistakenly treats it as a national one, which is plain stupidity on their part. However, bad news means good ratings, so maybe they're not actually that stupid...

Errg.

Did you hear that directly from Dave Ramsey? You can't use one number from the econ reports and declare us not to be in recession... based on what was it, a .6% GDP growth?

I wish I could find a more comprehensive report on home sales. For now I'll just give you this...

Atlanta -6.5%
Boston -5.9%
Charlotte 0.8%
Chicago -10.0%
Cleveland -9.5%
Dallas -3.3%
Denver -5.0%
Detroit -17.9%
Las Vegas -25.9%
Los Angeles -21.7%
Miami -24.6%
Minneapolis -14.1%
New York -7.4%
Phoenix -23.0%
Portland -4.0%
San Diego -20.5%
San Francisco -20.2%
Seattle -4.4%
Tampa -19.6%
Washington -14.7%

Obviously these are based on big city numbers, but if you give me long enough I can come up with some better numbers. Real estate may be regional, but they're all bound by the same economic forces. You can find places that are booming, yeah, but it's going to be quite a bit tougher in this economy.

[Nishu]

Since I can't edit, those numbers are from March 2007 to march 2008.