How do people with no diploma survive here? (San Jose, San Francisco: apartments, job market)

[Elle Oh Elle]

Originally Posted by =Lavender=

strip clubs, porn, escorting , modeling, personal assistant, move and show extras, pool boys wink, maids, dog walkers, . Big biz in LA LA LAND


btw you can lie a lot of companies dont even check the school if you did graduate.

I figured just as much. One of my friends worked as a hiring manager and she said that most places do look up your SSN though (hence why there's so much drams with illegals and all that). They will find out if you didn't really work/attend unless it's a fast food joint.

Originally Posted by =Lavender=

is that a bad area? what is it called. looks ok for a young person starting out

Well, I checked on Google and it says it's located in Florence-Graham.

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by Elle Oh Elle

Well, I checked on Google and it says it's located in Florence-Graham.

Awesome. Welcome to Da Hood. Not to worry about safety or anything. Cheap is the way to go!

[=Lavender=]

Originally Posted by Elle Oh Elle

I figured just as much. One of my friends worked as a hiring manager and she said that most places do look up your SSN though (hence why there's so much drams with illegals and all that). They will find out if you didn't really work/attend unless it's a fast food joint.




Well, I checked on Google and it says it's located in Florence-Graham.

maybe at your friends company does call up HS but most companies do not call high schools to verify graduation. SSN will not register if you are a HS grad or not they are not tied in. if that is what you meant.

BTW a lot of HS have closed down and in some cities its almost impossible to verify and LONGGGGGGGGGGG process

[JohnG72]

Originally Posted by =Lavender=

is that a bad area? what is it called. looks ok for a young person starting out

No, it's a complete craphole. Seriously, no one lives there unless they have to.

I was simply using it as an example of how there remain very inexpensive areas despite another posters claim to the contrary

[John23]

I think the statistics are pretty misleading.

-LA is a city of immigrants. I'm sure there are plenty of asian, korean, european, russian immigrants that don't have a traditional "degree"....but who own a mom and pop restaurant, bar, laundry, service business, etc. How many people don't even speak english well....yet they are business owners? I bet you it's very high.

If you have a skill or trade, you don't really need a "degree".

-There's a lot of under the table business I'm sure. I.e. modeling, escorts, "personal assistants". Cash businesses, etc.

-There are more trade businesses than people think. A few months ago I had to use a locksmith. Before that it was a beekeeper. And you see carpet cleaning vans, plumbing, heating/air.

-I wonder what percent of LA millionaires, or top hollywood execs don't have a degree. I bet it's more than you think. I.e. the guy that started in the mailroom who's now making 6 figures as a music exec, driving a mercedes on sunset or olympic.

Some of the skills in LA are pretty abstract, i.e. music. It's not something you can nail down like computers or math.

-There's also an investor/speculator class. I.e. the people that buy a $1 million or $1.5 million home in hollywood to tear down. Or elsewhere. Or to flip and improve properties.

-Then you've got a service underclass....busboys, dishwashers, etc. Do valets need degrees? Security guards, etc.

[Elle Oh Elle]

Originally Posted by =Lavender=

maybe at your friends company does call up HS but most companies do not call high schools to verify graduation. SSN will not register if you are a HS grad or not they are not tied in. if that is what you meant.

BTW a lot of HS have closed down and in some cities its almost impossible to verify and LONGGGGGGGGGGG process

It's kind of complicated, but to verify your birthday. Not really something you worry about past 21, but she said that they check for minors. Who else would have that information? Only schools, right? (Birth certificates, too, but they're harder to get.)

She herself was homeschooled which is ironic.

Originally Posted by John23

-Then you've got a service underclass....busboys, dishwashers, etc. Do valets need degrees? Security guards, etc.

True, look at the thousands of places out there for these people. Hotels and restaurants.

[Juelle]

Originally Posted by JohnG72

Your entire premise is false.

You can get studios in ghetto areas for $500+. 1 Bd start at $600 and 2 bds start at $750, at least in some of the more crime ridden areas. For example(and theres many such...not just this one...its only an example):

Apt ready to move in!! 750(BI)

I've lived in Los Angeles my entire life and know that area very well and unless you weaseled your way across the border and living here illegally, no one in their right mind would live in the Firestone area. You may very well find an apartment at that price over a store or in a building in need of serious renovation or demolition, but I was referring to the entire inner-city not one apartment down in the once semi-industrial portion of the city.

The figures I quoted were on average comprising all inner-city neighborhoods. Please do not forget that there are low ghettos (Eastern portion of the city) and high ghettos (Western portion of the city). Oh and I do not put much stock in anything listed on Craigslist. Give me figures from more reputable sources, I am in need of a low-cost apartment not over a converted garage, because I'm sure tired of paying 1100.00 for a 1-bedroom in the Crenshaw district (high ghetto).


And this is why listings on Craigslist many times are suspect, brokers who list low rents in the title to lead you to their website with disclaimers in fine print:

All information regarding a property for sale, rental or financing is from sources deemed reliable. No representation is made as to the accuracy thereof, and such information is subject to errors, omission, change of price, rental, commission, prior sale, lease or financing, or withdrawal without notice. All square footage and dimensions are approximate. Exact dimensions can be obtained by retaining the services of a professional architect or engineer.

[JohnG72]

Originally Posted by Juelle

I've lived in Los Angeles my entire life and know that area very well and unless you weaseled your way across the border and living here illegally, no one in their right mind would live in the Firestone area. You may very well find an apartment at that price over a store or in a building in need of serious renovation or demolition, but I was referring to the entire inner-city not one apartment down in the once semi-industrial portion of the city.

The figures I quoted were on average comprising all inner-city neighborhoods. Please do not forget that there are low ghettos (Eastern portion of the city) and high ghettos (Western portion of the city). Oh and I do not put much stock in anything listed on Craigslist. Give me figures from more reputable sources, I am in need of a low-cost apartment not over a converted garage, because I'm sure tired of paying 1100.00 for a 1-bedroom in the Crenshaw district (high ghetto).


And this is why listings on Craigslist many times are suspect, brokers who list low rents in the title to lead you to their website with disclaimers in fine print:

All information regarding a property for sale, rental or financing is from sources deemed reliable. No representation is made as to the accuracy thereof, and such information is subject to errors, omission, change of price, rental, commission, prior sale, lease or financing, or withdrawal without notice. All square footage and dimensions are approximate. Exact dimensions can be obtained by retaining the services of a professional architect or engineer.

This was your OP:

Originally Posted by Juelle

It baffles me when people think living in the hood is much cheaper than anywhere else. A 1-bdrm in the inner-city will run you 975 clear up to 1400.00. But, we have subsidies, such as Section-8 to partially thank for the increase in rentals.

Increase in demand means an increase in price. I remember when Section-8 first came on the scene, the government awarded certificates at much higher rates than the current rentals. When landlords discovered they could rent to Section-8 and get 800.00 instead of 400.00 all of a sudden rent is doubled, not for the section-8'ers, but for everyone. Why? Because they knew the government would pay the higher rate, and once they were successful and the demand for rentals increased because more people were able to get subsidy, they raised the prices across the board.

Now that there is a high demand and not enough supply, landlords have raised the rates to as high as they think they can go without going to jail. LOL As long as the demand is high, California will never see a decrease in housing or rentals. Get rid of Section-8, lower the demand and I guarantee you prices will start dropping.

Why are you now arguing with a point I never made?

[topospace]

Originally Posted by JohnG72

People consistently confuse needs and wants.

LA is not nearly as expensive as its made out to be.

The biggest expense for almost everyone is housing. But its not expensive as its made out to be.

Contrary to the standard opinions expressed on city data, you can find an apartment in a nice safe area for $900-1000/mo.

I will also add that some people without degrees, through sheer hard work, have made a very good income.

That said, you can also find a smallish 2 bedroom SFR in a safe blue collar area of Los Angeles with poor performing schools for around $1400/mo. My former neighbor was renting a small 2bd/1ba home in a nice enough neighborhood in Arleta for $1400/mo in 2002. I assume rent is the same or has declined. I looked at a home on the border of Lake Balboa/Van Nuys a few years ago that was $1350/mo. No one WANTS to live in those areas, but if you are a family of 4 with an income under 60K a year, something like that might be the best you can do.

You can also find living arrangements for much cheaper so long as you are willing to live in areas where everyone speaks spanish or you are willing to have roommates.

Basically:

Owning a home is NOT a need.
Renting a SFR is NOT a need.
Driving a car is NOT a need.
Good performing schools are NOT a need.

Rather all of the above are wants.

So thats how lower income people get by...they live in areas that are less expensive. They have old cars or do without cars. They rent, not own

Idiotic remark. Good performing schools are certainly a need if you're sending a child to them. Well, unless you want you child's education to consist of learning Spanish and nothing more.

[Carlite]

When the internet was new jobs were certainly open to people without degrees. I wonder if that's as true now. It sounds like the film industry is still open to folks without degrees. The problem is it's actually relatively small as a proportion of all jobs in LA. Work in the trades is good if you can get it.

It's good that people are finding ways without diplomas. Not everyone is going to go to college, especially with the current escalation of college costs. Overall, though, people with more education are better paid. Median earnings for full time workers with a bachelors degree (not a professional degree) are $1,066 per week nationally, compared to $652 for those with a high school diploma.

There is a difference on this between LA and San Francisco. In metro LA, 31% of adults have a bachelors or more advanced degree, in metro San Francisco it's 43%, metro San Jose 45%. Those are the highest levels of education among the 50 most populous metro areas, especially for Washington D.C,, with 47%. I think it creates more social pressure for employees to have degrees in the Bay Area, than in LA, but I'm not sure. I don't know if this is enough of a difference to say that LA is a more working class city, but it's notable.