Employment in Eugene? (Portland, Florence: home, job market, living)

[Tambrini]

Can anyone tell me what the job market is like in Eugene, OR? I am a business professional and am hoping to live somewhere in Oregon that offers both affordable living and job potential.

We are looking to relocate to Oregon from the East Coast (my parents live in Florence, OR and I'm originally from the SF Bay Area) and are having a difficult time determining where is the best place to live for the best of both worlds.

I absolutely love Portland, but my husband is concerned with the drug problem there, especially while raising our children.

Any suggestions???

[Waterlily]

The job market is okay. You'll need to go out and apply many places. You've just got to work to find a job is all.
Drug problems exist just about anywhere in the USA. Small cities and big cities have drug problems. Oregon is working on cutting it down with some new programs.

[okeon]

Drugs are EVERYWHERE, in EVERY town. Before I moved to Eugene I lived in a small town of around 19K people and they drug problem was BAD. If you surround yourself with good people who don't use drugs, then you definately won't have a problem at all. The biggest thing for me to get used to in Eugene was the homeless people (bums, beggars, or whatever you want to call them). We didn't have ANY people (in my home town) living on the streets and begging for money on the corners, but that is everywhere in Eugene and Portland both.

When we first moved to Eugene, my husband put in an application for work, and was hired the next day. So it is hard for me to say if it would be that hard for you to find work. It is a good size city, with lots of businesses, with lots of employees.

The Eugene/Florence area is BEAUTIFUL, Lane County is the most amazing place I have ever lived.