Why are the rents so high when wages don't support it? (home, look for a job)

[bler144]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

So even they've left the Stone Age.

From the cellulose age into the cellular age!

[urbanlife78]

Originally Posted by Steve Pickering

Because you are wrong. Most do.

When was the last time you applied for a job? The times have changed Steve, most employers don't do paper applications anymore.

[Steve Pickering]

There is that erroneous "Most" word again.

[Metlakatla]

It would be interesting if someone would do a study -- and maybe someone has somewhere -- on whether job seekers who have regular and adequate Internet access find jobs more quickly than those who don't. Actually, I kind of doubt that a study like this would exist in 2104 -- maybe it would have had relevance in 1994. It's too much of a no-brainer now.

[urbanlife78]

Originally Posted by Steve Pickering

There is that erroneous "Most" word again.

Times have changed Steve, they ain't like they use to be in your days where you had to go to a Job Board, see who was hiring, and call the number to drop off a resume. I have my resume on a pdf that I update from time to time. I haven't had to print it for a job in years, I always email it or attach it to an online application.

[redguard57]

I'm late to this party.

It isn't just Portland. Rents are outpacing housing prices and obviously wages in over 90 markets nationwide according to an analysis done by the New York Times not long ago.

Some of it has to do with interest rates. If you have any cash to spare, it makes no sense to save it where the rates don't even come close to keeping up with inflation. The stock market is at an insane number that could crash at any moment. So what do you do if you have a few hundred grand to spare and want to avoid the bubbling stocks? Or even if you don't, but your credit is good enough that you can borrow a few hundred grand at historically low interest?

Buy some real estate and raise the rent. It's definitely what I would do. Pretty surefire way to make 5-10% per year ROI.

I don't think it's better anywhere either.

When I lived in Texas, you could find cheap rent, but only if you were willing or able to drive far out from your job - often 45 minutes to an hour one way. Ie: a friend of mine worked in San Antonio but lived in La Vernia - a small town about 45 minutes out - but her rental house only cost her $500 a month.

I've found in Oregon, while I pay more in rent, I make up for it in lower transportation cost. In OR you see a lot of 1980s & 1990s cars. You hardly see those in TX anymore - because at the pace you have to drive there a 20-25 year old car would have 500K miles on it & cars fall apart well before that. I was amazed when I moved here how cheaply you could get used cars.

[oldtintype]

Originally Posted by EnricoV

I'm sorry, but that's just an absurd statement. How many employers are there in the Portland area? And you're saying you've surveyed "most" of them to determine their method of job application, have you?

Do you seriously think the gas station on the corner requires an on-line application ... or even has an on-line application to apply for a job there? The food cart. The auto repair shop. The coffee shop. The restaurant. Please.

You're really searching bottom of the barrel jobs to come up with those. I guarantee you that even if those jobs accept paper applications they're advertising them online. Hence the helpful internet again.

Please right back at you.

[EnricoV]

I think a number of you have a distorted view of where low-paying jobs are. They are in the mom-and-pop type businesses. Suggesting that those are places to go search for jobs in person is not "searching" the bottom of the barrel.

Look, no one said that you're not going to have greater access to jobs by using the internet. No one said it's not useful. But no one has yet come up with an argument why having their own internet access is required, other than to just say that it's really inconvenient to use library computers. But it's not a necessity. It's just not. If you can't afford it, you don't have to have it.

[oldtintype]

My argument was clear. Internet can be had at $10 per month via comcast internet essentials, and if you don't qualify for that you can get it for $29.99. If you use the library internet you have to drive your car and pay for gas to do your hour long free internet unless you happen to live in walking/biking distance, or you have to pay bus fare at $2.50 each way, or $5 per day. So basically unless you use the free one hour internet less than 5-6 times per month it's more cost effective to have your own internet. Given that most job seekers will spend more than six hours per month online it's common sense.

[EnricoV]

My argument was also clear. As I've said several times. Of course it's nice to have. But it doesn't matter if it only cost a dollar. It's still not a NECESSITY.