California unemployment rate is 11.2% (houses, find a job, construction)

[mwv]

Is it quite that bad on the ground? How is this showing up in everyday life anecdotes?

I'm in Austin and unemployment is 6.2%. There are so many license plates from California migrants here it's remarkable, and we're not even in the traditional moving season.

[california5]

In my county unemployment is 15.9%, yes it's that bad.

http://www.kget.com/news/local/story...Y7zwE7H1g.cspx

[Sassberto]

It has been said that the majority of the unemployed in that statistic are construction workers and retail workers.... construction has over 20% unemployment now.

[dantestein]

Originally Posted by mwv

Is it quite that bad on the ground? How is this showing up in everyday life anecdotes?

I'm in Austin and unemployment is 6.2%. There are so many license plates from California migrants here it's remarkable, and we're not even in the traditional moving season.

I'm in Silicon Valley and unemployment rate is high but I don't personally know of any engineers out of a job. In fact, Google, eBay, Adobe, intel, csco, Apple, facebook, twitter, yahoo, linkedin, ... all just a very small list of high tech companies based here, are still hiring. Not as aggressively but they are still hiring. They are also laying off temp and contractor workers in non technical area.

Also, the unemployment rate here is high because so many people move into this area. Our population is still increasing, but they can't find a job, so the unemployment is higher. If our population growth was about same as other states, it would be around 9 to 10%. Still high, but not nearly as bad as 11.2.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by dantestein

I'm in Silicon Valley and unemployment rate is high but I don't personally know of any engineers out of a job. In fact, Google, eBay, Adobe, intel, csco, Apple, facebook, twitter, yahoo, linkedin, ... all just a very small list of high tech companies based here, are still hiring. Not as aggressively but they are still hiring. They are also laying off temp and contractor workers in non technical area.

Also, the unemployment rate here is high because so many people move into this area. Our population is still increasing, but they can't find a job, so the unemployment is higher. If our population growth was about same as other states, it would be around 9 to 10%. Still high, but not nearly as bad as 11.2.

To your last point: CA's population growth is not nearly as fast as it used to be. I think our pop. growth rate is only a little faster than the national average now.

[PHItoLAX]

I moved out here about a year ago and it took me almost 11 months to find a solid, decent-paying job. I worked retail for a few months over the holidays (which was hardly making a living), but that fizzled quickly. It seems to be rough going in a lot of fields.

[Roaddog]

It's bad, 2 million people out of work in california from 2008 to present, our local refinery shut down 350 people who were making good money out with no way to regain a job in their pay range here, My job has cut labor in half, I did a job friday night by myself that used to use 4 people to do. Repoed houses all around the city and buisnesses closed. In out laying towns where farm work has slowed they have up to a 38% unemployment rate.
It's going to get worst before it ever gets better and it will never be the same as it was, I predict two years from now this might look like good times.

[CA central coast]

Originally Posted by mwv

Is it quite that bad on the ground? How is this showing up in everyday life anecdotes?

I'm in Austin and unemployment is 6.2%. There are so many license plates from California migrants here it's remarkable, and we're not even in the traditional moving season.

It's been tough. I'm getting UI, hopefully I'll get an extension soon. I may lose my house otherwise. Anyone in a relationship knows how money plays it's little role. Money issues put damaging pressure on family....it just sucks. Ya know, being a plumber or electrician making 50-80$ an hr. means nothing when there is a recession and no work. That's when your wishing you had gone to school to be become a pharmacist or engineer. Recession proof careers...healthcare, utlities..etc.. That's the way to go. Become a pharmacist or an electrical utility lineman...you won't be out of work.

[JetJockey]

Originally Posted by CA central coast

It's been tough. I'm getting UI, hopefully I'll get an extension soon. I may lose my house otherwise. Anyone in a relationship knows how money plays it's little role. Money issues put damaging pressure on family....it just sucks. Ya know, being a plumber or electrician making 50-80$ an hr. means nothing when there is a recession and no work. That's when your wishing you had gone to school to be become a pharmacist or engineer. Recession proof careers...healthcare, utlities..etc.. That's the way to go. Become a pharmacist or an electrical utility lineman...you won't be out of work.

That's pretty much what my father told me and my siblings. Try and find a job where it's less of a gamble to work. All jobs are a gamble... I'm involved in an industry where my entire company could go under at the drop of a hat. Unfortunately, that may happen with nearly any industry. I'm actually thinking about going into the mortuary industry.... there are always going to be people having kids, and everyone will die at one point, so the only two logical careerpaths are midwifery and mortuary

[CA central coast]

Originally Posted by JetJockey

That's pretty much what my father told me and my siblings. Try and find a job where it's less of a gamble to work. All jobs are a gamble... I'm involved in an industry where my entire company could go under at the drop of a hat. Unfortunately, that may happen with nearly any industry. I'm actually thinking about going into the mortuary industry.... there are always going to be people having kids, and everyone will die at one point, so the only two logical careerpaths are midwifery and mortuary

recession proof.