Job prospects in Austin picking up? (real estate, apartment, foreclosures)

[inthecut]

I hear things are getting better on the job front in Austin....though I never really noticed a huge problem, there do seem to be a lot more homeless/marginal folk wandering around, and I see a ton of U-hauls driving into the local apartment megaplex(foreclosures?)......

Are people finding jobs out there in Austin readily?
If so, just entry level ones(under13/hour)?
How is tech doing in general?
Are people getting hired for gov't jobs(IRS, teaching, etc.), or is there still hiring freezes in many of those sectors?

Are you worried/anxious if you still find yourself looking for something viable for months?

[mickey65]

It took me four months, but I just found a job I started a week and a half ago. It pays under $13/hr - but it's a job!

[inthecut]

Originally Posted by mickey65

It took me four months, but I just found a job I started a week and a half ago. It pays under $13/hr - but it's a job!

as long as it pays the bills....though if you find yourself underemployed, and not making enough money to even support yourself solo with your own apartment, you should keep looking actively as long as you have the under 13$ AN HOUR job.....BTW, in Austin $18 an hour is considered living wage, according to several sources.....under 13 would def be in "living with parents or sharing a place with 2-3 people" territory though......not terribly exciting to merely be able to board with several people sharing the same toilet facility and having negligible privacy, or maybe have a few bucks to spend living in your old bedroom/basement with mom and dad.....

Are things really that tight in Austin that it takes 4 months to land an under 13-an-hour job now?.....Doesn't sound very good.....

[centralaustinite]

Overall, I do not think that things are improving much. UT, CoA, SEU, and many other local employers, including nearly every high tech employer, still have hiring freezes in place.

I don't see any significant new job creation.

But employment levels here are still higher than many (many) other places in the US and our economy is fairly balanced and diversified across many sectors. So it could be much worse.

(edited to add, I worked an $11 an hour job this summer to supplement our family income, most of my co-workers supported themselves on that wage. It can certainly be done in Austin, with roommates, public transportation and the ability to walk to stores and work. It is not a luxurious life but a workable one. I was working in central East Austin.)

[inthecut]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

Overall, I do not think that things are improving much. UT, CoA, SEU, and many other local employers, including nearly every high tech employer, still have hiring freezes in place.

I don't see any significant new job creation.

But employment levels here are still higher than many (many) other places in the US and our economy is fairly balanced and diversified across many sectors. So it could be much worse.

(edited to add, I worked an $11 an hour job this summer to supplement our family income, most of my co-workers supported themselves on that wage. It can certainly be done in Austin, with roommates, public transportation and the ability to walk to stores and work. It is not a luxurious life but a workable one. I was working in central East Austin.)

Last time I made that little(equivalent) was in the mid 80's......about 6 an hour back then.....and I would be hard pressed to find a place to live even then on the same....back then, a month's rent was about 380-90 a month, which, after taxes, I could swing if I scrimped every penny I made....but, 11 hour now comes out to about 23K a year, which, after taxes, is about 1400 a month.....it would be tough, but you prob could get a cheap place if you saved every penny, and were very frugal per entertainment spending.........

I still say that you need to make at least 18/hour to make a living wage in Austin, especially when one has others to fend for(family).....though those that are single/young can certainly stomach substandard wages far more readily, being young enough to share personal space with strangers(toilet, kitchen, living room/couch), and creative enough to find free/cheap things to do/places to go.....

Those with families or living with someone are the truly screwed ones per the substandard wages in Austin and most other sunbelt cities....

[Trainwreck20]

Eh, I lived on a state salary of ~$14/hour for years back in the early nineties, and I don't think that those pay rates have changed (they reclassify them to keep the pay the same even though there are 'increases'). It wasn't an excess of money, but it wasn't bad at all as a single person. At around $18/hour in the late nineties, I bought a house and was paying extra monthly. I think I was making $19 or $20/hour (41k + annually) in 2000 when I left the state, and that was pretty easy then....

[Cardiff Giant]

I work at UT and not only is there still a hiring freeze, but the school where I work is releasing 5% of our staff as I type this.

The state budget is flat for the next few years. I can't speak for the private sector.

[orbius]

After the S&L bust and real estate bust in Austin rents went down. I got a 1 bedroom in Austin for $325/w utilities paid in the mid 90's in a good part of town. Dell was starting people out at under $10/hour back then!

[CptnRn]

The City of Austin has 62 jobs listed that they are accepting applications on.

https://www.austincityjobs.org/appli...=1256840112428

[gpurcell]

Originally Posted by Cardiff Giant

I work at UT and not only is there still a hiring freeze, but the school where I work is releasing 5% of our staff as I type this.

The state budget is flat for the next few years. I can't speak for the private sector.

If we're lucky and we get some reasonable growth numbers for the next Lege session.