Are there any jobs in Michigan???!!!!!!!!! (Monroe, Dundee: hotel, home, job market)

[Ahmsmom3]

I left a job of three years as a Teacher's Aide in Kansas to move to Monroe, Michigan for my husband's job. We moved here 3 months ago, without any friends or family living here, so my references are all out of state. I have sent out at least 100 resumes and applied at plenty of places. I am starting to wonder if there are any jobs at all in Michigan. I have experience in the hotel industry along with my school experience and have held plenty of odd jobs since I was 18.

I am now 32 and feel like I will never land a job. Is it me or is this area hypocritical of those who move from out of state? I am getting really depressed that I cannot find a job. All I want is a job with a steady paycheck and opportunity for advancement. I would love for someone to be able to help me out.

[ErikU19]

Sorry for the bad stretch of luck.

I'm self employed and have seen a fair share of my customers close up shop due to the economy. It's really devastating to see...throw in the housing crisis and inflation and you really have a bad situation here...

Hope things turn around for you....

[lauraall]

The job market in Michigan is TERRIBLE!! If I remember Monroe is a small city but pretty close to Ohio. Maybe there are some options there. Good Luck!

[MI-Roger]

Hotel Industry -
As weird as it sounds, Cabella's in Dundee (maybe 10 miles west of Monroe) is the #1 tourist attraction in the state. Correspondingly, the area surrounding the M-50 and US-23 interchange is the site of many motels with more being added all the time to accomodate out-of-area visitors to this store. Customers actually video tape their families shopping there, just as if they were visiting Disney world!!!

Teacher's Aides-
In Michigan these positions are commonly called Para-Pros, and the State does not mandate county wide hiring practices as is common in other areas. Individual school districts often don't know how many Aides they require until after the start of the school year (after Labor Day), so now is the time to scour school district web sites looking for openings. Also check the Monroe County Intermediate School District web site as some ISD's do have a county wide hiring pool. I assume you have the "No Child Left Behind" certification for Teacher's Aides/Para-Pros? If not, contact local community colleges to learn how to register for the exam for the certification. I doubt you can get hired without it. Michigan also requires all schol district employees to be digitally fingerprinted and have a criminal back-ground check. The fee is around $65 for this, but check with the Monroe County ISD for details.

Don't give up. Michigan's economy is in the dumper right now, so job searches take longer for everyone.

[funymann]

My answer to your question is no. Oh, did you say good jobs or just jobs? There is nothing here.
I have been here all my life and have owned my own business here for over 15 years. You almost have to be self-employed just to survive here. I have been through some pretty down times in Michigan. I have been through 9-11 and the craziness of Y2K. You know all that!
I'm leaving! I have already established two customers in Tennesee and am ready to go! The winter was awful here last year. 85 inches of snow. The economy stinks, the jobs are gone, the housing market is in the dumps. Did I mention the weather stinks. It's already getting near freezing and it's not even fall here!!! I mean, come on.
I don't mean to give you this sort of talk but I am leaving before they turn the lights off. At least your husbands working. I'd done my homework before coming here. That's like getting a good deal on a home in New Orleans. Pffff.

[Ahmsmom3]

Originally Posted by funymann

My answer to your question is no. Oh, did you say good jobs or just jobs? There is nothing here.
I have been here all my life and have owned my own business here for over 15 years. You almost have to be self-employed just to survive here. I have been through some pretty down times in Michigan. I have been through 9-11 and the craziness of Y2K. You know all that!
I'm leaving! I have already established two customers in Tennesee and am ready to go! The winter was awful here last year. 85 inches of snow. The economy stinks, the jobs are gone, the housing market is in the dumps. Did I mention the weather stinks. It's already getting near freezing and it's not even fall here!!! I mean, come on.
I don't mean to give you this sort of talk but I am leaving before they turn the lights off. At least your husbands working. I'd done my homework before coming here. That's like getting a good deal on a home in New Orleans. Pffff.

I did research on the internet and nothing prepared me for this. Michigan wasn't my choice but my husbands employers choice. My choice would have been East Tennessee where I have friends and family and know I can get a job from knowing alot of people.

[Bhaalspawn]

Originally Posted by lauraall

The job market in Michigan is TERRIBLE!! If I remember Monroe is a small city but pretty close to Ohio. Maybe there are some options there. Good Luck!

The mob market in the United States itself, in general, is terrible.

[Brent85]

The national unemployment rate is 6.1% which isn't great but not really bad. The thing is the type of jobs avaliable. It's hard to find one that pays over $12 an hour with benifits, especially here in Michigan.

[Ahmsmom3]

Originally Posted by Brent85

The national unemployment rate is 6.1% which isn't great but not really bad. The thing is the type of jobs avaliable. It's hard to find one that pays over $12 an hour with benifits, especially here in Michigan.

I would be content with making $8 to $10. I just want to go back to work. I hate being unemployed and feeling worthless. I have worked since I was 16 and never had trouble finding a job til moving here!

[Coldjensens]

There are substitute teaching jobs available, but it is on a catch as you can basis. They call you each morning if they need you. My wife did it last year and worked pretty steadily. She was well liked. Some districts would call her on Sunday to get to her before she took other assignments. The pay is terrible (about $10/hour) and you never know when you will work. She was able to work pretty much whenever she wanted to, but she did have a period of almost three weeks with no assignments. Now she works for hte library part time, but she may take substitute assignements when she is not working.

There are some jobs around, obviously the businesses and government still have to function, but the pay is low, most jobs are part time to avoid benefits and they are not easy to find.