Greater Cincinnati job market surges to nine-year high

[WILWRadio]

Originally Posted by thunderstruck666

How bad is the fiscal condition of the city? I have not been able to find as much unbiased info as I'd like. I live in one of the worse cities and states for fiscal health at the moment. I really regret leaving Cinti 21 years ago, and if I can find a decent paying job in my field of printing I'd be back in a heartbeat.

I'm in a similar situation as you. Left the Hartford, CT area years ago for the same reasons. Lack of decent jobs and the fiscal health of the city and state were and are still bad. Not as bad as IL and Chicago but bad enough to the point that both Hartford and the State of CT could end up bankrupt.

The job market in the Cincy area is quite strong right now. I am seriously leaning towards finding a new job here despite the fact I've been with my present employer for 11 years. Have been commuting to Indianapolis from northern KY for a while now and it is getting old especially when I have had to endure a lot of crap from the people in Indy.

Do your skills in the printing industry transfer to other industries? That would be the first question I would ask myself. I suspect if you change your sights a bit you should be able to find work here.

[Misfit Toy]

It's not necessarily a strong job market, it's more of a limited pool of potential employees or employable adults to draw from. Once you take people who are definitely out the job market (retirees, people on disability) and people who will have a hard time getting low wage jobs, if even that (people w/ criminal records, people who can't pass a drug test), then employers are left with only so many folks to choose from.

[thunderstruck666]

Not per se, but I have a fairly wide skill set in the field. I really enjoy it because I always have a feeling of accomplishment when I leave work. I've been working for the same guy for 17 years, so I'm committed. At any rate though, just how bad off is the city? Either I'm not looking in the right places, or the situation is not so bad there are organized information sources like we have here. I'd hate to move there and property taxes double in 5 years, as they are going to have to do here.

[Sarah Perry]

I'm not qualified to comment on the job market, nor on what may happen in 5 years WRT property taxes. I do have two suggestions, however. If you come here, avoid buying property within the City of Cincinnati itself. The municipal government is riddled with fraud, waste and abuse and it's an entrenched system that will probably never get any better. Don't buy into what you may read here that "if only Candidate X is elected everything will be wonderful." It won't. And if property taxes per se are a concern (beyond their secondary effect on the overall economy), then look to buy a home in one of the Northern Kentucky counties adjoining the Ohio River--Campbell, Kenton or Boone. Property tax is a LOT lower there, and most areas are within commutable distance for work to Cincinnati.

[WILWRadio]

^^^
Yes, property taxes on the KY side are much lower. My tax bill in Covington is far lower than it would be for a comparable small home in Hamilton County.

Thunderstruck. Also, bear in mind many jobs these days are not even advertised in the print media anymore. Many are posted online or via internal company sources only. I do hear a number of ad's on WILW AM 700 radio each week for area companies that are hiring. I do see a lot of Help Wanted signs out these days both in Indianapolis and the Cincinnati area.

[motorman]

For anyone getting involved in this discussion, please be aware that the topic of the thread is Cincinnati's job market. Other topics of interest, including the fiscal condition of the city, should be addressed elsewhere.

[motorman]

Originally Posted by Misfit Toy

It's not necessarily a strong job market, it's more of a limited pool of potential employees or employable adults to draw from. Once you take people who are definitely out the job market (retirees, people on disability) and people who will have a hard time getting low wage jobs, if even that (people w/ criminal records, people who can't pass a drug test), then employers are left with only so many folks to choose from.

I have an entirely different opinion because the job market can be looked at from opposite perspectives - either that of the employer or that of the job seeker. Therefore, I feel that the factors you've mentioned work strongly in Cincinnati's favor. From an employer's POV, more jobs with fewer people to fill them is a critical liability, but from a job seeker's POV, it's a distinct asset.