U.S. News ranks CBUS best place to find a job (Columbus: sales, real estate)

[chicagoerin]

Hi, in case this hasn't been posted here yet, I was happy to open my Sept issue tof US News and World Reprot to find that Columbus was ranked #1 best place to find a job and we also made the list of best places to retire (same issue). This is no surprise to those of us who appreciate Columbus for what it is: an inexensive, highly educated community with great people and a diverse employment base. For the rest of you who compare it to Chicago, NY, etc and bash it for not being like the major metro areas, please leave the forum and take your negative energy with you. I recruit hundreds of people to Columbus from all the over the country and the vast majority say they will never leave. To the rest of you...BAH BYE.

America's Best Places to Find a Job 2009 - US News and World Report

[west5548]

It said nothing about #1 in the article, just a better place to find a job. It's also slanted in the fact that the guy who talks in the article works for the Columbus Chamber, of course they are going to sell the place up as awesome. Forbes, which I would trust more when it comes to analysis and actual research from people who don't live there, ranked Columbus #83 for the best place to find a job based on trends and facts. The other thing is the pay in Columbus is much less and everything costs more. I'm moving to Texas next spring and can make double for the same job down there than up here. Plus no income tax, rated in the top 5 for places to bring home more money, far better weather, and cheaper real estate.

[jmargaret]

The pay for "professional" jobs in Columbus is definitely lower than in other metropolitan areas; however, I wouldn't say that the cost of living is "high" in Cowtown. The cost of living seems to be average, if not on the low side of average. Outside of Chicago, most of the Midwest has bargain-basement cost of living.

[west5548]

Originally Posted by jmargaret

The pay for "professional" jobs in Columbus is definitely lower than in other metropolitan areas; however, I wouldn't say that the cost of living is "high" in Cowtown. The cost of living seems to be average, if not on the low side of average. Outside of Chicago, most of the Midwest has bargain-basement cost of living.

I will agree with your statement and with that being said, you definately have to look at salary when comparing cost of living in most cases. The few companies that move jobs to Columbus or Ohio in general know the state is hard pressed to get jobs so they pay a very low salary and know people will take it. In turn those companies save big and all the big executives get the difference.

I work for one of those companies that is doing that right now, which was on the list in the article. Job functions are being moved to Columbus because there is very little in the way of competition in this field in Columbus as opposed to where it's at now and so they are paying people pathetic salaries to do the job, because another company can't really turn around and offer more to the ones they hire.

I can understand why college grads leave the city/state, I would find it insulting to get a 4 year degree and a company only wanting to offer me $25K a year for a professional job.

The unemployment rate in Columbus is around 9%, hardly a winning number when it is just about at the national rate. There was nothing much put into this article at all from a research standpoint, just talk from sales people who work for and are living in these cities.

[coach123]

You have to consider quality of life. Columbus has a diverse economy compared to other Ohio cities. And one can argue we may be better than average in terms of job market that the rest of the midwest, but unless going to Applebee's every weekend with the family is your thing (nothing wrong with that by the way) then it's hard to make an argument that you will have a better quality of life in Columbus than most other cities. There is just nothing going on here socially or culturally other than Buckeye's Football and Sunday church. As far as one of the best places to retire, what a load of crap! I guarantee you that people do not come from out of state to retire in Columbus unless they have kids here who will take care of them. Ohio is one of the worst places to retire due to the death tax. Once you are gone, half your money goes to the state before it gets passed on to your kids. There are 3 reasons people end up in Columbus. 1. They are born here. 2. They move here because of OSU for school. 3. Their job takes them here. Prove me wrong! If anyone moved here purely because they wanted to live in Columbus, and not for financial or family reasons, please let us all know.

[Tenzo]

I agree on calling Shenanigans on the post title.

What I find disturbing is that people feel the need to fabricate reasons why one should move to Columbus. If your idea of shopping is a big box store, your idea of ethnic food is Chipolte, Your idea of a fine musical is Andrew Lloyd Weber, you listen to 'light Jazz' or Christian Rock, if you consider something 8 stories a 'tower', you are christian and xenophobic and all the excitment you can take is the new Pottery Barn catalog; then Columbus might be right for you.

[14thandYou]

Originally Posted by west5548

The other thing is the pay in Columbus is much less and everything costs more.

I've always thought of Columbus as pretty much across-the-board cheap. Agree about the pay though, salaries in Columbus are definitely on the low-end.

[Tenzo]

Interesting point.

Yeah, Chicago is MUCH more expensive to live in than Columbus. (No contest)
But my billing rate here is 75%-65% of what I would be getting in Chicago and 55% of what I would get in New York.

Any study done on cost of living adjusted for income?

All things being equal these numbers should be related.
If you adjusted for both you could get a 'desirability index' or a 'burden index' depending upon whether you are an optomist or a pessimist.

[other1]

Blah, blah.... I agree that citing these magazines doesn't really paint an accurate picture of what Columbus has. I only know from the experience I have, that currently in my profession, Columbus is fairing better than most. This includes Chicago, NYC, and some other large cities. This is a very small group of individuals, however after talking with my past classmates that are practicing in those areas, things are pretty grim. Once again, small example. Correct, Columbus doesn't pay well in most areas.

One thing I don't understand, there are quite a few people that ding Columbus by comparing it to large Metro area. I think that is crazy, I don't expect to find something comparable to the viennese opera here and I don't plan on finding 5 star ethnic dining every night. No, this isn't San Fran, NYC, LA, ect. But I can assure you the Bus has more opportunities than Youngstown, or Erie, or ect......

But if your idea of shopping is the Short North, Grandview, or Columbus Architectural Salvage, your idea of ethnic food is the Blue Nile, Your consider good music to be the up and coming high energy acts that stop at Skullys or Ravari Room, you listen to adult alternative or (*gasp*) country, if you consider something 8 stories a 'tower'(I'll agree, most ppl are idiots), you are atheist, homosexual, tolerant, and and all the excitment you can take is the new El Croquis; then Columbus might be right for you.

[coach123]

Originally Posted by other1

Blah, blah.... I agree that citing these magazines doesn't really paint an accurate picture of what Columbus has. I only know from the experience I have, that currently in my profession, Columbus is fairing better than most. This includes Chicago, NYC, and some other large cities. This is a very small group of individuals, however after talking with my past classmates that are practicing in those areas, things are pretty grim. Once again, small example. Correct, Columbus doesn't pay well in most areas.

One thing I don't understand, there are quite a few people that ding Columbus by comparing it to large Metro area. I think that is crazy, I don't expect to find something comparable to the viennese opera here and I don't plan on finding 5 star ethnic dining every night. No, this isn't San Fran, NYC, LA, ect. But I can assure you the Bus has more opportunities than Youngstown, or Erie, or ect......

But if your idea of shopping is the Short North, Grandview, or Columbus Architectural Salvage, your idea of ethnic food is the Blue Nile, Your consider good music to be the up and coming high energy acts that stop at Skullys or Ravari Room, you listen to adult alternative or (*gasp*) country, if you consider something 8 stories a 'tower'(I'll agree, most ppl are idiots), you are atheist, homosexual, tolerant, and and all the excitment you can take is the new El Croquis; then Columbus might be right for you.

You painted a very accurate, and boring, picture of Columbus. I suppose if you live in Youngstown and have never been across state lines, Columbus must seem like the city of the future. Honestly, Cinci has more to offer than Columbus culturally and socially.