NEGATIVE JOB GROWTH... True or False? (Boise, Nampa: best cities, sales, headhunter)

[CivilLibertarian]

Hello all,

My Wife and I are considering a move to Boise City and we looked up some numbers and noticed the only negative we could find were the job statistics...

Recent Job Growth: -5.50%

Future Job Growth: -3.39%

The above numbers were some of the worst we could find when comparing Boise's job numbers to many other cities. The unemployment appears to be a positive at 1.50% compared to where we live now in Tampa, FL. But it just doesn't add up.

We are both in our early 30's and we have three children. The job market is very important to us. Are these numbers skewed or invalid? Eveything else we found out in regards to Boise is EXTREMELY positive in our view, but numbers like the above make me wonder if Boise is truly right for us. If any of you can shed some light on the job market in Boise we'd greatly appreciate it!

Thanks in advance,
ME

[boi2socal]

I've been looking for jobs in Boise and SoCal and haven't had much luck with either.

Boise is still relatively small in the scope of things so I believe it is hard to calculate future job growth. The economy hinges on a few companies that feed life into the others. So if they lay off it can cause problems throughout the area. On the flip side if those companies add jobs or another company sets up shop you'll see job growth in all areas.

As far as those numbers it is hard to say. There are a lot of "rumors" out there but few actual numbers.

[micrguy]

When I moved to Boise I went to a local headhunter who told me that if you are looking for a job that pays less than $40,000 a year there are a ton of jobs. Especially if you want to do something like retail sales or management. He told me that Boise is just too far away from SLC, Portland or Seattle to attract low to middle income earners.

However, if you want any type of professional level job, sales or upper management work Boise is very tough to find a job. A lot of the successful people that I know that live in Boise have a job that they could do anywhere and brought it with them to Boise. It took me over a year to find a sales job with a national company that was looking for a rep in Boise. The downside to sales jobs with national companies in Boise is that most companies have to give you a huge territory in order to have enough people to sell to. Every company that I interviewed with wanted me to cover Boise to SLC at a minimum and often had extended territories that went into Wyoming and Montana.

The other issue that I ran into for the first year is that quite a few companies do not want to hire anyone that doesn't have roots in the community yet. One company told me that I had great qualifications, but they were tired of hiring really good people that go on to move back to where they came from in 9 months, so they were going to pass on me.

That being said, moving to Boise was a great choice for our family despite the job issue.

[Torrie]

Look at this website for current and updated information.

Civilian Labor Force (LAUS)

You'll find all kinds of helpful information on there.

What's the size difference of the cities your are comparing Boise to? My guess is you might be comparing Boise to larger cities? Boise-Metro has a population base of close to 600,000 people, so that could be why you're seeing such a difference. Typically we have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country and we've consistently been below the national average.

Like most places, as the economy starts to go in the tank, we are all affected.

[Torrie]

Boise Ranks Third as Hottest Job Market | Boise | New West Network

[Torrie]

Forbes: Boise is No. 2 for business, careers | Business | Idaho Statesman

[Torrie]

Best Cities to Live, Work and Play - Kiplinger.com

Small biz is big deal for state- Columbian.com, Clark County, Washington, Vancouver, Breaking News, U.S., World, Entertainment, Video, Weather, Sports (broken link)

Treasure Valley Gaining Ground : Untitled Page

[CivilLibertarian]

Wow!!! I thank you all for the wealth of information you've provided! My Wife and I have been looking for that "almost perfect" spot for our family and we really loved what we were hearing about Boise. The negative job information we had received was dampening our otherwise happy zeal for Boise. The information you provided (Big thanks Torrie) has really made my day!

BIG THANKS!!!

[Torrie]

You're very welcome!

I swear, I'm not making this stuff up...LOL!

Report: Boise-Nampa Metro Area Leads Nation in Economic Vitality | Business Wire | Find Articles at BNET

Ok, that being said, it's possible that the figures you came across could be true, but they're not a reflection of what the economy has typically been over a long term period. Just like everywhere else we took a hit in the housing market and jobs were lost.

Do everything you can to secure a job before you come as the job market can be competitive. Use us as a sounding board, maybe one of us might be able to network for you. No guarantees, but hey, you never know.

[stingraynm]

Many of the warnings about the job market are from the perspective of recent college grads (such as I was when I looked for work in Boise). If you are a 30-something with children, I doubt you'll face the overqualified/inexperienced catch-22, so it should be great.

Torrie's VERY right, too, in that you should start looking early, 'cause the market for middle class salary jobs is saturated with applicants and employers are quite picky as a result. If you can tailor your resume to a job posting by showing several years of applicable experience, that's really all you'll need to stand out from the masses.

The big bizzes are a factor there, but small business in Boise has BOOMED in the past decade. Those who keep their eyes - and ears, really - open will have good luck.