Current Job Market in Northwest Arkansas. (Hope: mortgage, lenders, house)

[brajoh81]

I already live in NWA but I am becoming very dissatisfied with my current job. I am losing hours and not happy with my position. I want to find something else but according the national news the economy and job market is doing terrible. I heard the economy and job market is better in NWA than the rest of the country, so I should be okay in finding anotherjob(and no I do not want to work at Wal-Mart). Is it true because I cannot afford to continue at my current job??

[North Pulaski Player]

We are on the verge of a second "Great Depression". It will soon be good just to have any job...

[nmnita]

I totally agree about not changing jobs with the economy what it is; as for the 'great depression" part guess you would have had to live through the last one to know this is not likely to happen.

unemployment is about 5.5% which normally anything under 6% is acceptable. We have had such a strong economy for several years, since the mid 90s that we panic easily. Most forclosures have been created by lenders who were giving money to anyone and property in a few states being totlally out of bounds. Add this to the fuel costs and things are not coming up roses. I, for one, am not convinced the next great depression as you put it looms on the horizon. Obviously if things continue for 2 or 3 years like they are now, we are in for real trouble.

Nita

[bchris02]

Gas prices are the problem, not subprime mortgages and ARMs. Unfortunately the Fed doesn't see it that way.

[Aporkalypse]

There has been a real softening of the NWA job market, with a net loss of 500 jobs over the last year after dramatic growth every year before that for two decades. Those jobs are not construction jobs the way one would expect but many of the business jobs that NWA's boom was built on. I think a lot would depend on the type of job you have, experience and skills. There are some people who can always quit and find a new jobs in hours.

[JGAngel97]

Well, I don't listen to the news, at least not often. In my family, we are all doing better than we have ever done. We live in Las Vegas and the predictions around here are dire. Being in my 50's I have heard this same story for the last 30 years when the economy takes a downturn. As far as the mortgage companies being responsible I disagree. We were offered an interest only mortgage on our house and declined. It didn't seem very smart. We bought a house within our means and can afford the payments. We are not strapped. I really believe that if more people would take responsibility for their actions and not become involved in the blame game there wouldn't be so many "Chicken Littles" running around. The media feeds on people like that. No, wait....they are the "Chicken Littles"!!
Yes, gas is ridiculous. Alternatives are out there. We are considering using used oil as a fuel. We will have to buy a different vehicle, though. We are not wealthy people by any means, but we do THINK before we act. We use our money wisely. We don't have to keep up with the Joneses or the Smiths, or whomever. If we can't afford something, we don't buy it. The economy is not that bad. with 5.5% unemployment, 94.5% of people are employed. It sounds so different when stated that way.
This adjustment in the economy will end. The ones in the 70's and 80's were much worse than this one. And if it doesn't, well, we will all deal with it.

We will be traveling to NWA in August to see if I can deal with the humidity and we are looking forward to it. Hopefully, we will like NWA and the job market will work for us. If not, we will have to stay where we are for a while longer. No big deal.

Thanks for letting me put in my 2 cents.

[Prelor]

Originally Posted by JGAngel97

Well, I don't listen to the news, at least not often. In my family, we are all doing better than we have ever done. We live in Las Vegas and the predictions around here are dire. Being in my 50's I have heard this same story for the last 30 years when the economy takes a downturn. As far as the mortgage companies being responsible I disagree. We were offered an interest only mortgage on our house and declined. It didn't seem very smart. We bought a house within our means and can afford the payments. We are not strapped. I really believe that if more people would take responsibility for their actions and not become involved in the blame game there wouldn't be so many "Chicken Littles" running around. The media feeds on people like that. No, wait....they are the "Chicken Littles"!!
Yes, gas is ridiculous. Alternatives are out there. We are considering using used oil as a fuel. We will have to buy a different vehicle, though. We are not wealthy people by any means, but we do THINK before we act. We use our money wisely. We don't have to keep up with the Joneses or the Smiths, or whomever. If we can't afford something, we don't buy it. The economy is not that bad. with 5.5% unemployment, 94.5% of people are employed. It sounds so different when stated that way.
This adjustment in the economy will end. The ones in the 70's and 80's were much worse than this one. And if it doesn't, well, we will all deal with it.

We will be traveling to NWA in August to see if I can deal with the humidity and we are looking forward to it. Hopefully, we will like NWA and the job market will work for us. If not, we will have to stay where we are for a while longer. No big deal.

Thanks for letting me put in my 2 cents.

And a realistic 2 cents it is.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said tonight that the 5.5% unemployment rate for May did not signal the start of a recession, and the risk of one has actually fallen.

[brajoh81]

Originally Posted by Prelor

And a realistic 2 cents it is.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said tonight that the 5.5% unemployment rate for May did not signal the start of a recession, and the risk of one has actually fallen.

Ben Bernanke is a part of the Bush regime that has caused all of this economic mess in the first place and to the folks above I cannot afford to stay at my current job and I need help. Maybe by this time next year, President Obama will have fixed some stuff, but it will take time.

[bchris02]

Originally Posted by Prelor

And a realistic 2 cents it is.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said tonight that the 5.5% unemployment rate for May did not signal the start of a recession, and the risk of one has actually fallen.

And McCain says our economy is very strong. Republicans are clueless right now and out of touch with the American people. I vote Republican 90% of the time, but I think Republicans NEED to lose this election so they can re-invent themselves for 2012 and get this country moving forward again.

[North Pulaski Player]

Originally Posted by Prelor

And a realistic 2 cents it is.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said tonight that the 5.5% unemployment rate for May did not signal the start of a recession, and the risk of one has actually fallen.

This is the same man that a few months ago said that there is no crisis in the housing market. He also recently said that inflation is contained (turns out he was referring to core inflation which does NOT include FUEL and FOOD prices). The Fed Chairman's job is not to give us the facts, but to say things to prevent a panic.