Economy/Job Market in your area?

**Luv2BeFrugal** · 08-24-2008, 11:57 PM

Between watching the news and reading posts here it got me to thinking... How is the job market in your area? Is the economy looking up/down? It seems like it's really varied from different articles I've read.

I don't know if it's that we're so far away up here, but we're not having any issues with the job market...there are more jobs than people.

Now, inflation is another thing! Food and rent have gone up considerably (and they were already HIGH)! Rent alone went up 27% in the last year!! OUCH!!

Just curious how things are going in various areas of the country...instead of the "overall reports" on news sites.

Dh & I still want to move after he graduates (16 months from now), but aren't sure how smart it would be money-wise. We figured out I would have to work - earning at LEAST $300/month (minimum to make sure all bills would be properly covered). I keep hearing people having trouble finding work in various areas down there and it makes me nervous to make such a leap. He would have guaranteed work, but we'd still be short that $300/mo.

The other option is staying here a few years past his graduation and then moving. We'd have less debt, but we just HATE living up here... Erf... Decisions... Oh well, we have time to figure things out...just curious what you all think.

**Mom2Many** · 08-25-2008, 12:36 AM

Things seem to be okay here. I live in coal country and companies are offering tons of incentives to get new miners...Those new jobs help out all the other businesses so things are pretty good all around.

**pollypurebred39** · 08-25-2008, 03:23 AM

It depends what field your in around here. Construction is in a downward spiral, but pharmacuticals are going strong. All our factories have closed and the farmers are selling their land. A lot of going out of business signs. But if you want to work fast food there are part time openings, or daycare openings. Most businesses like home depot, lowes, staples, ect have shortened their business hours and cut jobs. Many families are having their kids move back home with them bringing a spouse and grandchildren in tow. A bit like yesteryear. Other families are going in with other familes on renting houses, each occupying a floor, that I find interesting. For sale signs and absolute auction signs are everywhere. My cousin just had her son, his pregnant wife, and their son move in with her. His work cut back his hours so drasticallythat he couldn't afford the rent on a 1 bedroom. But it seems like Applebees, Lonestar and the Outback around here always have their parking lot filled. That seems really unbelivable to me, so I'm guessing there is work at those kinds of places. And of course the bar parking lots are filled to overflowing. I guess it will always be that way no matter what the economy. Around it seems there is work but at very low wages and hours unless you work pharmacuticals. 2 major factories around here.

**cmdarlin** · 08-25-2008, 06:21 AM

Around here, prices are going up and the few jobs that are advertise want degrees it seems. There are the fast food jobs which would be ok if I lived in town and didn't have to drive 60 miles round trip for minimum wage. It would barely pay for gas. We love our farm but with everything going on, DH's health and both of us being unemployed.... even with me getting a full time job, we're probably going to be forced to sell the farm.

Debbie

**prftstrngr** · 08-25-2008, 06:49 AM

Im in Eastern Canada. My husband has been looking for a job since last October and constantly gets the door shut in his face because he has no degree. As a result he is going back to school next month. Hard to do at 40 years old when you have been working as an IT manager for the past 10 years! Now he has to go take classes to prove he can do the job he already had. There are jobs here...but low paying ones. The good ones...you have to fight for.

**TheRootedNomad** · 08-25-2008, 06:56 AM

In my area higher paying jobs are hard to come by, even for those with a degree. Everyone knows around here if you've got a decent job now is not the time to walk. This is because of the truck plants/carplants here and the rough time they've faced. We aren't Detriit but the majority of our factrory employees are in the car industry. The workers are trickling out even though the plants are technically still open. The hours have been cut so drastically at some that they don't have much choice. Lower paying positions seem still seem fairly easy to come by. I guess the best current analysis would be that it is taking poeple months and months to find a job that would support, or come close to supporting, a household. Extra money/high school type jobs are still pretty easy to get. This may not hold true much longer as the factory workers get more desperate and are starting to make choices such as working three or four part time jobs and such. The flip side to this is we've also got the UPS main hub for the USA based here. There have been no hour cuts or anything there and they usually do a HUGE hire in the fall. It is suppose to be seasonal help but generally if you want to stay you get to. It will be intresting to see what happens this year.

**Pemberleyan** · 08-25-2008, 08:38 AM

I live in a rural county in Alabama, and our economy is not great. The housing market has been bad for years. We are trying to sell my mother's house, which is about 3,000 square feet. The original floors are parquet, brick and tile; and it has a lot of bran new carpet and vinyl. A lot of the house has been recently painted inside. Also recently some plumbing and electrical work has been done and the household central AC unit replaced. The kitchen is huge and has bran new, unused wall oven, cooktop and dishwasher. It has 2.5 baths and probably a couple of acres of land. We're starting off asking $79,500, which should give you an idea of the local economy.

Jobs are scarce in this area, of course.

**Missourimom** · 08-25-2008, 08:48 AM

We live in Missouri and we're hurting....really hurting. We've been in the home improvement business for years and we've never been through anything like this.

**jamie79** · 08-25-2008, 10:21 AM

This area that I am in is not good. My county was just named the 5th poorest county in Wisconsin. 48% of the kids who go to school in my town alone get free or reduced lunch.
A good paying job here is 15 dollars an hour. That is not a great pay in this day and time. The choices for jobs is limited too.
We have Century Foods which is a division of Hormel.
There is the army post and in the next town over which is 22 miles away there is a Walmart distribution center and Ocean Spray. These are the 4 big employers in this area.

**Cricketlegs** · 08-25-2008, 11:53 AM

Prices are up but I see gas in down to 3.41.

Our town has 3.3 unemplyment and there are help wated signs everywhere.

Groceries are way up but now that I stopped with prepackaged crud my groceries are lasting long and are cheaper--go figure?

**mom2bobsarah** · 08-28-2008, 03:56 PM

Well, I live in NJ so that should be enough said, lol. But anyway, jobs around here tend to be few and far between. My husband is a partner in a networking company and while he is looking for people he needs qualified people and there are not many of them. He has a ton of resumes but everyone wants too much money with no credentials. Groceries are unbelievable anymore, I just cannot get a handle on my grocery bill. Housing market is at a stand still and our taxes are insane. We would like to be able to move out of state within the next 3 years but we couldn't sell our house for anything right now. Hopefully things will take a turn for the better but I have to be honest, I think it is going to be awhile.

**cheapskate 49** · 08-28-2008, 05:26 PM

The town I live in in southwestern Ontario has an unemployment rate of 9%..the highest in Canada,it's mostly the automotive sector in trouble but now it's spilling into tool&die and mold making I hear almost every week of another small shop gone belly-up...many of the folk losing their jobs are heading out to Calgary and Edmonton.
We are used to the ups and downs of the automotive sector here but this time it seems to be one big down.

**heartofmine** · 08-28-2008, 09:28 PM

I live in a small town and the economy here has been bad for several years. All of the factories have moved overseas. It was bad before the gas price hikes and all of that. Jobs are few and far between and none of them high paying at all. I read recently that more than half the people in this county are on government assistance even those working. We are now just above the level to be able to get assistance due to a higher position and a raise my husband got last year. We are the now the poorest county in the state of TN. Many people work in neighboring towns. That is what my husband does. He has an hour drive every morning and afternoon.

Things are not looking up at all as jobs are not coming into the county and even some of the neighboring towns where people are working those factories are closing too. We pay one of the highest taxes on things here...9.5% and that includes on groceries. We also have to pay a wheel tax so to get tags once a year its $49.00 per vehicle. Groceries have gone up horribly and we don't have a lot to choose from as far as places to shop.

Housing costs and rent are low here but then with incomes being so low it makes up the difference. Drugs and thievery seem to be on the increase too. People will still anything including breaking into any house being built or those empty including an old school house and ripping out the copper wiring and selling it. We've got a major problem with meth labs and those on Tenncare selling prescription drugs. Also a problem with those selling their food stamps on their food stamp cards. The big thing now is they go in and buy pepsi's in the 12 packs and then sell them to people cheaper than they paid for them just to get money. Its really scary seeing all of these things falling on our small town. Peoples morals have just gone out the window it seems.

**JustMegan79** · 08-29-2008, 12:06 PM

Here in SC it is looking bleak. SC is a poor state to begin with, but to put it in perspective. DH is a full time student works two jobs in the "season". I work two in the season and one a few months after it, but I will be laid off by Nov. Most people around here HAVE to work two to three jobs. The jobs here are retail, food service, hotels, etc. The wage avg seems to be around 7.50 an hour. which is why I wait tables.

There are no factories or industry here, no big corporations or any other type of industry other than tourist.

So alot of our county works seasonally and is on unemployment through the winter until the next season.

A major builder here just filed bankruptcy, there are hundreds of houses and condos in foreclosure, the potholes in the roads are huge and nothing is really being fixed, and muggings, shootings and burglaries are in full swing, so crime is on an upswing.

In short: Dont move here.

**rachelj** · 08-29-2008, 12:13 PM

I live in (5 miles) from the RV capital of the US. Lay offs are happening all the time. Of course most of these people are not degreed and were getting paid pretty well considering.

So the trickle down effect is taking place slowly. Of course I also live 20 minutes away from the Orthopeadic (sp) capital of the US and they are always hiring - but usually people with degrees. So just go get those little letters behind your name!