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My boyfriend and I are considering moving up to Oregon because his family lives up there...I am 21 and he is 23. What is it like and how is the job market? We have both been looking online and don't seem to find much, his brother-in-law is going to try and help, but I am worried we wont make any money to afford our bills and renting a house for our dog.
Any help you can give me would be amazing!
Or job offers
He is currently a quality control inspector and I am working in insurance as a technical assistant and I can also be a receptionist working with many phone lines. We are both very smart and can adapt quickly.
As someone who has lived in both Southern California and Oregon, and who moved to both places without a job immediately in hand (as you are planning to do) I must reply to this.
In moving from So Cal to Oregon, you must understand that you are moving from one of the hottest job markets in the country to the most economically depressed area of the country. I lived in Eugene, and I am not sure how Coos Bay compares, but I do know that all of Oregon is REALLY bad for getting jobs.
It might be ok to move there if one of you has a job lined up to support the other, but if you are both moving without jobs it will likely be really hard for you.
In Oregon the pay is low, the jobs are VERY scarce, and at least in Eugene most of them are temporary and/or part-time. When I was in Eugene someone told me that Eugene has a higher per-capita number of temp agencies than anywhere else in the country, and the jobs they offer are invariably low-wage with no benefits and no job security.
Oregon may have a low cost of living compared to California but believe me it is not low enough to compensate for chronic unemployment or underemployment. Especially if you are coming from So Cal, you must be prepared to lower your expectations drastically. When I lived in Oregon I felt like I was lucky to even have a part-time job which barely paid my bills. And I was lucky to even have that, as MANY unemployed or barely employed individuals reminded me.
Contrast that with my experience in So Cal, where I had my pick of several jobs that were much more challenging, engaging, and enjoyable, all of which paid FAR more than what anyone in Oregon was willing to offer me, and all of which were full time.
One other thing: Oregon is particularly bad if you are young and have little experience. Most companies in Oregon are small-time operators who have neither the capital nor the inclination to train you. Hence their insistence on people who have 5+ years of experience for even the lowliest of positions.
Even if you have tons of experience the situation is not much better. I met a woman in Eugene who was from Philadelphia, and who had 20+ years of experience in administrative jobs and was accustomed to being paid $25+ an hour for her efforts. She told me that she couldn't even find work in Eugene and when she did, she was reduced to haggling with an employer who refused to pay her more than $9 an hour.
I am not saying you shouldn't move to Oregon. There are worse places out there. But know what you are getting yourself into.
Last edited by FellowTraveler; 03-09-2008 at 12:32 AM..
Reason: Had to correct something
We located from Albany Oregon, my husband straight out of college got a job here in Coos Bay with the local mill as the QC supervisor. There is a need for child care in this area, and people as long as you take good care of their children will pay upwards of $500 a month per child for quality care whether or not you are certified. I also recommend applying for either subing or as a educational assistant with the school districts. Subing provides a much needed income while you also have time to find the right job for you. There are jobs, you just have to be willing to look and expand your horizons sometimes to consider jobs you at once didn't think you were qualified to do or may not have interest. Once you are here and understand the economy and what is really available you should do just fine. We live off of less than $60,000 a year with 3 kids and still have nice things, own our own home, and do tons of activities with our teen aged boys whom themselves cost a small fortune.
I love the Weather in North Bend, it is coastal like, but never that icky humid feel like in Newport on nice days. I live IN North Bend and have never seen a FOGGY day since we have been here in my area. Yes out side of here the fog is bad, but right here, I LOVE wearther.
We located from Albany Oregon, my husband straight out of college got a job here in Coos Bay with the local mill as the QC supervisor. There is a need for child care in this area, and people as long as you take good care of their children will pay upwards of $500 a month per child for quality care whether or not you are certified. I also recommend applying for either subing or as a educational assistant with the school districts. Subing provides a much needed income while you also have time to find the right job for you. There are jobs, you just have to be willing to look and expand your horizons sometimes to consider jobs you at once didn't think you were qualified to do or may not have interest. Once you are here and understand the economy and what is really available you should do just fine. We live off of less than $60,000 a year with 3 kids and still have nice things, own our own home, and do tons of activities with our teen aged boys whom themselves cost a small fortune.
I love the Weather in North Bend, it is coastal like, but never that icky humid feel like in Newport on nice days. I live IN North Bend and have never seen a FOGGY day since we have been here in my area. Yes out side of here the fog is bad, but right here, I LOVE wearther.
I lived in Coos Bay/North Bend for over 20 years. The area has gone down hill and has become more depressed. We only stayed there because of my husbands business. The economy is awful .We still have friends that live there. As far as the weather goes, it is foggy and cool. If you want nicer weather, you have to move in land. North Bend is noted for being windy and cool in the summer. The airport is there and their were times we could not fly out due to the fog. Wages are low, schools are not good, drugs are big. I would say the area for its size is the arm pit of Oregon. If I were to move to Oregon, I would certainly move to another area. So my advice for you young people is there are alot better places in Oregon or stay where you are and avoid a culture shock. Sorryyyyyyyyyyyyy. PS, we were so glad to get out.
I started out making more money here in my job than i did for the same one I had in the Happy Valley area after 5yrs. My husband makes more money too......grant you, thats not going to happen for everyone, but it can.....
We lived in North Bend for a couple years, weather there was great. Not windy/cool in the summer really. Admittedly, it wasnt 100degrees 2months out of the summer, but warm enough our 3 kids spent most of the summer outside getting tan while playing.
The schools can be good. Theyre not Catlian Gable, but we tested my kids against requirements in an upper Portland, and a Washington school and they all scored very well...(i did this because I was worried my kids might be getting a lower education, so we had my inlaws, who teach in Clackamas and Portland help w/the comparision testing)
obviously, its not for everyone. But its nowhere near as bad as some people claim. And believe me, I was totally against moving here when we did!! I only did it under distress and w/the full agreement to move back in a year if I felt we were at a lower quality of life. Im so glad i didnt listen to the doomsayers against Coos Bay.
But hey, if you like it, stay, if you hate it, move. Joys of being free, eh?
Tiffany
I lived in Coos Bay/North Bend for over 20 years. The area has gone down hill and has become more depressed. We only stayed there because of my husbands business. The economy is awful .We still have friends that live there. As far as the weather goes, it is foggy and cool. If you want nicer weather, you have to move in land. North Bend is noted for being windy and cool in the summer. The airport is there and their were times we could not fly out due to the fog. Wages are low, schools are not good, drugs are big. I would say the area for its size is the arm pit of Oregon. If I were to move to Oregon, I would certainly move to another area. So my advice for you young people is there are alot better places in Oregon or stay where you are and avoid a culture shock. Sorryyyyyyyyyyyyy. PS, we were so glad to get out.
Young people with your lives ahead of you - please don't get caught in the vortex of depression! Whoever said the weather in North Bend is always sunny um... well, that simply is not true. I've lived in North Bend, Coos Bay and surrounding area for 34 years and you have to go inland at least a little to get out of the fog and wind.
It truly has become "the armpit of Oregon" sad to say. The only reason I would encourage anyone to move here at this time would be if they are totally self sufficient; could find a place out of town and hibernate. Enjoy the scenery and stay uninvolved. If you have children - I wouldn't recommend it at all.
People are moving out of here even before they have sold houses. LOTS of empty houses, but because they were sold a few years ago at ridiculously high pricing, even they aren't affordable. Guess they too will sit empty - like many of our businesses!
This thread is about a year old, maybe someone is lurking. I'm a San Diego native, moved to the Mojave Desert (base of the Sierra Nevada) in 1984, raised a son (29 now on his own), put in a 30 year career, and after being single 20 years, married a fine woman met in The Netherlands three years ago. She's happy with the open space on acreage, the view of the Sierra's and the dry climate as opposed to her home country. Now if wishes were krugerrands, I'd of never let her set foot here and would have lived happily ever after in Holland! It's rustic to the 16th century, Dutch people are some of the friendliest ever met, fresh sea food is plentiful, and my favorite sport of vintage motocross, is very much alive and well in Europe.
A few years ago looking around Oregon on Google, came across the city of Florence, more specifically the Dunes off road area. While the wife is happy in the dry climate, 30 years of summers over 115 degrees makes the choice of leaving the area after retirement (very soon) easy for me. She rides a big TRX Quad, and I'm happy to slip a paddle on a two wheeler and spend days on end at the beach. Fishing. I can sit and fish even when the fish are gone on vacation. Back when pursuing vintage motocross events in Northern California, recall a number of cities in Oregon that also have members, so I don't think I'd be a lonesome wolf in the forest up there. While the racing days are few and far between now, still have a large collection of machines to restore. I've been to City of Rouge River, use to have outlaws there, Medford, kind of know what the area is like. Florence looks like the place I'd always of wanted to be. Forrest, rivers, and ocean. The chance to move anywhere along the Southern California coast is nada. I'm an ornery guy, not really concerned about local crime, the Mojave Desert is the meth capital of the world, and can't imagine Oregon taking away that title. So yes, have experience with that. During the last bust, people dumped a lot of homes, so am familiar with that scene. Only issue (wife’s concern) is the average rain fall. We get at least 1” to 1.5” inches a year here. Holland’s average is about 31” of rain fall. Looks like up that way the average is 43”, with Holland having many more “drizzly days”. I’m all for it, too stupid to get out of the rain, the wife is cautious.
That said, will be on pension, nothing huge. Maybe open up an ATV accessory shop somewhere to keep busy (only 56 now). The wife fancies her future self as an aspiring artist and is an avid reader. I’ve watched the Chamber of Commerce site the past year or so, the events look cool. We both like the Victorian and sea style older homes, but not sure if they are in our price range, and need to learn about the little caveats small cities and neighborhoods have. It doesn’t appear there are many “out of the way” places east of the city, most homes look like they are laid out in track format (yuck).
Our plan is early next year hook up the toy hauler and head up that way, find a suitable campground (KOA?) and just spend a good amount of time living in the city.
Ocean, dunes, fishing, mountains, rivers, I just don’t see the problem no matter what’s going on with the economy. Everyone is in the same boat and has to deal with situations in their own way.
Oh yea, not that it matters much to us, we are both Atheist whom are very tolerant of other’s beliefs
came across the city of Florence, more specifically the Dunes off road area. While the wife is happy in the dry climate, 30 years of summers over 115 degrees makes the choice of leaving the area after retirement (very soon) easy for me.
i like looking at real estate on the web and i think it gives you a good glimpse at an area. since the economy is so bad here, especially at the coast, you might find a very good deal!
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Oregon Job Market
