Jobs in Allentown/Easton/Bethlehem area? (Harrisburg, Whitehall: for sale, 2009, crime)

[GiantRutgersfan]

Would a college graduate be able to find a professional job in this area without an exceptional amount of difficulty?

obviously things are rough all over currently, but just in general

[toobusytoday]

I know several unemployed or underemployed college grads. Put it this way, I would not move without a job.

[PA.Dutchman]

Lehigh Portland Cement is moving its' headquarters to TEXAS. This had been the home and the city where it all started for Lehigh Portland Cement. Heidelberg Cement from Germany purchased it a few years ago and is moving its headquarters to another company it purchased in TEXAS.

Air Products just announced it is releasing nearly 1100 employees, most of whom are Professionals and college graduates. (A friend of ours came back from an overseas trip for Air Products last month. He went into work that Monday and was told he was being released. He had been there over 20 years.)

GE closed and moved years ago.

Black and Decker closed their production location and left the valley.

Bethlehem Steel closed and is an empty lot now.

Mack trucks build trucks here for World War I and this was their World Headquarters for years, it too is moving its World Headquarters. They are moving to North Carolina leaving only one production location here in the valley.

PPL is reducing its work force and putting its rates up this year. But their CEO did get his multi million dollar bonus.

All the valley has to have to offer is warehouses that now fill the once rich farmer lands of the valley.

Our main street in Allentown is now Tattoo Shops and Pawn shops with a few eating locations. Two of the eating locations closed and moved this year from lack of business and the treat of crime.

Allentown and the valley are struggling. The old cities are gone and a crime riddled community of gangs and thugs has taken over. There multiple hit and runs and stolen cars daily, and armed robberies several times a week. Vandalism takes place continually all over the Lehigh Valley. Whitehall, Bethlehem, Allentown and the suburban areas have all been impacted. Read today's paper or any day there are many reports of crimes. Plus the Morning Call does NOT report all the crimes so individuals are not discouraged from moving here. The Morning Call is for sale and has cut its' staff.

Believe me it is not a pleasure or joy to state this, it breaks our hearts. Our family has lived here since the 1700's, it has been my home for 61 plus years. What made the area strong and provided a future and employment for its citizens is all gone.

Read the paper today, Vandals smashed thousands of dollars worth of lights and fixtures in the Emmaus Community Park. THAT WAS THE NICEST AND MOST WONDERFUL COMMUNITY FAMILY PARK AROUND. Someone broke into the Emmaus High School last night. These things never never happened. In Bethlehem and man was stopped for a traffic violation and on his seat he had stolen gun from Hellertown. Emmaus and Hellertown were two of the most peaceful communities in the valley, but not anymore.

There is no future for your children or for you in the way of employment in the valley. When our fathers and ourselves looked for employment there were many options and now there is NOTHING. Not unless you drive some distance into NY. OR NJ.

Keep an eye on your children, we have a lot of recent arrivals making a good living dealing drugs in the schools and clubs. Your children are all seen as future clients.

[toobusytoday]

Well, that's a pretty bleak picture of our area.

I've got to say that the economy of the Lehigh Valley is actually better then many parts of the nation. The world is simply not the same as it used to be, not just this area. People move here often because this is a better place then where they are moving from. Also, the majority of the people that are looking to live in the area are NOT looking to move to downtown Allentown. The reason the vandalism in Emmaus makes the news is because it is unusual, not that it happens everyday.

As much as I hate to hear about school buses being broken into, that's also something that happens in school districts all over the country and has for as long as I can remember, even in the small town of Delaware where I grew up.

Bad stuff happens to good people, but good stuff, wonderful things also go on each and every day. I choose to live my life for that good stuff.

[Stavs]

Originally Posted by PA.Dutchman

All the valley has to have to offer is warehouses that now fill the once rich farmer lands of the valley.

You forgot that we have plenty of new retail establishments and centers being built all over the area. For an area that is struggling, we do seem to have an over abundance of shops and restaurants these days. It seems like all people do in the valley is eat and shop, and I dont understand who has the money to be doing all this. We are getting a lot of higher end shops all over, and with the economy the way it is, it doesnt add up.

The area needs to do something to build more and different kinds of businessess. Its also getting a bit "chained" out, but what can you do? People want their walmarts and dont want to be inconvenienced by having to drive 5-7 miles from Bethlehem or wherever they live. I work for a chain (I know I'm a hipocrit), and people complain about driving from Bethlehem or Easton to whitehall all the time.

[PA.Dutchman]

Living and growing up in Allentown's down town for 61 years I remember when town was filled with shoppers and workers.

Lehigh Portland Cement had its world headquarters at 7 TH and Hamilton. It moved to Fogelsville.

Lehs Department store had been uptown for 100 years moved to the Mall and closed its downtown location.

1 ST. National Bank and Lehigh Valley Trust both closed and no one moved into their locations.

Zollingers closed it decades long business and department store.

Hess Brothers closed it 9 Street location. So many businesses left down town many of the stores they supported with shoppers closed. Now there is nothing up town but PPL.

There are not enough major employers located on Hamilton Street to support good eating places and other businesses. Employees of PPL have been robbed and assaulted in their own company parking deck at 9 and Linden. The employees don't live in town and can't wait to get out of town after working all day.

[PA.Dutchman]

Bethlehem Area to cut 36 teaching positions -- themorningcall.com
themorningcall.com

Bethlehem Area to cut 36 teaching positions

School district needs to pare $3.5 million, just 16 days before start of school year

By Tim Darragh and Steve Esack
OF THE MORNING CALL ,'' she said. Vitalos will meet today with the 13-member executive board of officers and on Thursday with building representatives. If both groups agree that the union must act,

August 12, 2009

Bethlehem Area School District employees, taxpayers and students woke up Tuesday to a leaner, meaner reality as administrators began scrambling to whack $3.5 million, three dozen teaching positions and a number of favored alternative programs out of the district's budget.

The administration began the process of closing programs and bumping employees based on seniority after a school board committee Monday night directed Superintendent Joseph A. Lewis to pare the 2009-10 budget just 16 days before the start of another school year.

If the committee's recommendations are ratified at Monday's regular board meeting, the district, among other things, will shutter the Regional Academic Standards Academy, an alternative school for elementary and middle students; the Career Academy, a high school program for students at risk of dropping out; and cut elementary guidance staff, a human resources director and instructional support teams.

Lewis has been saying the ongoing budget stalemate in Harrisburg forced the administration's hand, as rumors swirled that the district could receive $2 million less than anticipated. Calls to Lewis' office Tuesday were not returned.

Bethlehem teachers union President Jolene Vitalos said she is rethinking her opposition to contract concessions after learning that 36 teaching positions, mostly in elementary schools, are on the chopping block. If layoffs occur, those with the least seniority will be laid off, starting with long-term substitute positions.

''This is an unusual situation that Bethlehem has not faced in a good 20 years On the positive side, Schachter said displaced students still will be in good hands in the district. ''I don't think they're being thrown to the wolves at all,'' she said.

But board member Judith Dexter said the proposed cuts will be ''devastating'' to some students. She said she'd like to see reductions that have less impact on academics.

''From my view,'' Dexter said, ''what we ought to be doing this next week is analyzing the cuts that will have lower impact on academic achievement.''

The district was counting on $26 million from the state for its basic subsidy as well as federal stimulus money passed through Harrisburg. But the Lewis administration now expects Gov. Ed Rendell to compromise with Republicans who want to cut the state's share of the increase.

While some employees were shocked at the developments, the possibility of significant cuts loomed even after the district passed the budget in June. At that time, board member Eugene McKeon warned that the district's reliance on full funding from Harrisburg was risky. Monday night, he lamented not pressing the issue harder.

Maureen Venkersammy, president of the districtwide Parent Advisory Council, acknowledged the state's failure to get money to school districts. ''I'm frustrated because a big part of the problem is the state has not given us a penny,'' she said. ''It's less than three weeks from school starting and they are having to make these decisions and the Senate goes home for break.''

However, she also said district administrators and the board should have developed a contingency plan instead of scrambling at the last minute.

The state deadlock has a heavy impact on the district because it has no financial cushion to absorb bad news. Instead, it is trying to dig out of a $7 million deficit it accrued after several consecutive years of spending more than its income.

tim.darragh@mcall.com

610 778-2259

[JohnZ963]

If you're a college graduate seeking a "professional" job, I would advise you to not move to the Lehigh Valley until you have accepted a job offer in the area. Professional, decent paying jobs are in short supply here. There has been (or will be) a lot of downsizing among the top employers in the LV. Mack, Air Products, PPL, Buckeye, etc. have all reduced headcount or are planning on it. Sure, there are all sorts of new retail establishments and warehouses, but those people get paid $10 an hour or whatever.

The only exception might be if you are looking for something in the healthcare field - like if you're a nurse or physician's assistant, etc.

[Stavs]

Originally Posted by JohnZ963

If you're a college graduate seeking a "professional" job, I would advise you to not move to the Lehigh Valley until you have accepted a job offer in the area. Professional, decent paying jobs are in short supply here. There has been (or will be) a lot of downsizing among the top employers in the LV. Mack, Air Products, PPL, Buckeye, etc. have all reduced headcount or are planning on it. Sure, there are all sorts of new retail establishments and warehouses, but those people get paid $10 an hour or whatever.

The only exception might be if you are looking for something in the healthcare field - like if you're a nurse or physician's assistant, etc.

Definitely hit the mark with healthcare. Plenty of those jobs here. People are always getting sick and dying.

[keithlantz]

Originally Posted by PA.Dutchman

Lehigh Portland Cement is moving its' headquarters to TEXAS. This had been the home and the city where it all started for Lehigh Portland Cement. Heidelberg Cement from Germany purchased it a few years ago and is moving its headquarters to another company it purchased in TEXAS.

Air Products just announced it is releasing nearly 1100 employees, most of whom are Professionals and college graduates. (A friend of ours came back from an overseas trip for Air Products last month. He went into work that Monday and was told he was being released. He had been there over 20 years.)

GE closed and moved years ago.

Black and Decker closed their production location and left the valley.

Bethlehem Steel closed and is an empty lot now.

Mack trucks build trucks here for World War I and this was their World Headquarters for years, it too is moving its World Headquarters. They are moving to North Carolina leaving only one production location here in the valley.

PPL is reducing its work force and putting its rates up this year. But their CEO did get his multi million dollar bonus.

All the valley has to have to offer is warehouses that now fill the once rich farmer lands of the valley.

Our main street in Allentown is now Tattoo Shops and Pawn shops with a few eating locations. Two of the eating locations closed and moved this year from lack of business and the treat of crime.

Allentown and the valley are struggling. The old cities are gone and a crime riddled community of gangs and thugs has taken over. There multiple hit and runs and stolen cars daily, and armed robberies several times a week. Vandalism takes place continually all over the Lehigh Valley. Whitehall, Bethlehem, Allentown and the suburban areas have all been impacted. Read today's paper or any day there are many reports of crimes. Plus the Morning Call does NOT report all the crimes so individuals are not discouraged from moving here. The Morning Call is for sale and has cut its' staff.

Believe me it is not a pleasure or joy to state this, it breaks our hearts. Our family has lived here since the 1700's, it has been my home for 61 plus years. What made the area strong and provided a future and employment for its citizens is all gone.

Read the paper today, Vandals smashed thousands of dollars worth of lights and fixtures in the Emmaus Community Park. THAT WAS THE NICEST AND MOST WONDERFUL COMMUNITY FAMILY PARK AROUND. Someone broke into the Emmaus High School last night. These things never never happened. In Bethlehem and man was stopped for a traffic violation and on his seat he had stolen gun from Hellertown. Emmaus and Hellertown were two of the most peaceful communities in the valley, but not anymore.

There is no future for your children or for you in the way of employment in the valley. When our fathers and ourselves looked for employment there were many options and now there is NOTHING. Not unless you drive some distance into NY. OR NJ.

Keep an eye on your children, we have a lot of recent arrivals making a good living dealing drugs in the schools and clubs. Your children are all seen as future clients.

Wow...such a pessimist! Olympus moved their headquarters to Center Valley. B. Braun is a medical device company in the area with headquarters in Bethlehem and another part of the same company called Aesculap is located in Center Valley next to Olympus. Orasure is another medical device company located in South Bethlehem. There is a new Casino where Bethlehem Steel was and the industrial park there is expanding with a bunch of new companies...RMS, Synchronoss, etc. There are plenty of jobs here, but not necessarily old-school mill and factory jobs. Also, the Lehigh Valley is a cheap place to live and then commute to Bucks/Montco or the Bridgewater/Raritan/Somerville area in New Jersey where there are tons of jobs!