Job prospects in Austin picking up? (West, Howe: insurance, mortgage, hotel)

[centralaustinite]

The low-end job market in Austin has been tight for decades! Forever, maybe. We are rich in young, eager university students, slackers, and musicians. Competition is fierce for wait staff jobs, hospitality, law clerks, admin etc. and wages are lower. This was true 20 years ago and it is just as true now.

Mid- and high level talent can be harder to find, particularly as certain industries have grown in Austin (semiconductors, software, new media, bio tech, gaming) but there is only a moderate spill over effect on the low end.

Dallas and Houston are probably better bets.

[inthecut]

Originally Posted by austinhome

After several trips and research it seemed to be a great place. Not many places in the US that have this type of population and no jobs under 13.00 an hour availible (one out of 100). Go figure and yes there are a whole lot of reports and stat's that say differently. What's the chance that three people in one household can't get a 10.00 dollar an hour job? In Austin Texas 100% one of us transferred here or he would not be working either. My real reason for this post is in hopes that others do not make the same mistake. Its nice but it's not that nice.

"Nice but its not THAT nice" is the best way to describe Austin....surely not a hellhole, it has pleasant greenery, great music, and some(not many,
and very very much localized in the central core) eclective stores/eateries/things to do.........

And not any more to do than any other city the same size(Portland, Indy, Columbus) and much less than larger cities like the DFW MPX and Houston
amongst many others......if you like art, live theater, and museums, Houston simply dwarfs Austin, and has a far more diversified economy for job seekers, DFW even more so.....

Austin simply doesn't have enough going for it to sacrifice 20-50% pay cuts.......larger cities offer more pay AND things to do.......

Try DFW and Houston if you are getting weary of pushing past teams of folks for low-paying work....

[jentaylor]

I moved here on 9/1 due to my husband's job relocation. It took me 53 days but I landed a great job at about 95% of what I was making back in Cincinnati, plus the office is only 2 miles from my house! I was terrified because in my industry, many firms were not hiring at all or where hiring but paying about 50% of what I was earning pre-move.
I spent about 6 hours per day looking for work. It took at least 30 days of just applying for jobs before some interviews happened. For all of those out of work, don't give up, keep looking and think outside the box. I am working at a company I never would have looked at, but when I read the job description I thought "I can do that" and it turned out well.

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by jentaylor

I moved here on 9/1 due to my husband's job relocation. It took me 53 days but I landed a great job at about 95% of what I was making back in Cincinnati, plus the office is only 2 miles from my house! I was terrified because in my industry, many firms were not hiring at all or where hiring but paying about 50% of what I was earning pre-move.
I spent about 6 hours per day looking for work. It took at least 30 days of just applying for jobs before some interviews happened. For all of those out of work, don't give up, keep looking and think outside the box. I am working at a company I never would have looked at, but when I read the job description I thought "I can do that" and it turned out well.

Just out of curiosity, what's your industry? And kudos to you for hanging in there!

[riaelise]

Many people I know in my industry - legal - are finding more success in Houston and Dallas. I was contemplating that myself but then I got hired on at a very wonderful firm. This was at the beginning of the recession. Now, it is very hard.

[Tiger Beer]

Is there any demand in ESL teachers? People who teach English as a second language...?

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by inthecut

"Nice but its not THAT nice" is the best way to describe Austin....surely not a hellhole, it has pleasant greenery, great music, and some(not many,
and very very much localized in the central core) eclective stores/eateries/things to do.........

And not any more to do than any other city the same size(Portland, Indy, Columbus) and much less than larger cities like the DFW MPX and Houston
amongst many others......if you like art, live theater, and museums, Houston simply dwarfs Austin, and has a far more diversified economy for job seekers, DFW even more so.....

Austin simply doesn't have enough going for it to sacrifice 20-50% pay cuts.......larger cities offer more pay AND things to do.......

Try DFW and Houston if you are getting weary of pushing past teams of folks for low-paying work....

Unemployment in Portland currently stands at 10.9%
Indianapolis: 7.7%
Austin: 7.2%
Columbus: 8.2%

[mlassoff]

Originally Posted by hoffdano

Unemployment in Portland currently stands at 10.9%
Indianapolis: 7.7%
Austin: 7.2%
Columbus: 8.2%

I know it can't be quantified, but I would guess Ausitn has the highest UNDERemployment rate of all of those cities. I see the job postings here in CT now that I have moved out of Austin. Jobs that pay $13/hour in Austin pay $55K here. And no, except for housing, COL is the same.

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by mlassoff

I know it can't be quantified, but I would guess Ausitn has the highest UNDERemployment rate of all of those cities. I see the job postings here in CT now that I have moved out of Austin. Jobs that pay $13/hour in Austin pay $55K here. And no, except for housing, COL is the same.

Please - give me an example or two or three of these kinds of jobs.

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by mlassoff

I know it can't be quantified, but I would guess Ausitn has the highest UNDERemployment rate of all of those cities. I see the job postings here in CT now that I have moved out of Austin. Jobs that pay $13/hour in Austin pay $55K here. And no, except for housing, COL is the same.

Portland is pretty high in underemployment as well.