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I haven't been on this forum in years, but my husband is going to be job-hunting in the area and I wanted to see how the area is doing economically, compared to the last few years.
I know the last time we seriously looked at moving down, there was a lot of "don't move here unless you have a job" commenting going on. That made perfect sense to us, still does... but it seemed the predominant comment, and over & over it was relayed how depressed the area was. We don't have any intention of moving w/o both of us having secured jobs... this is more a question re: the area and how it's doing.
I don't see that kind of sentiment on here as much, so thought I'd throw the question back out there.
He's working with headhunters in the manufacturing sector, I'm a nurse who will be looking to work in one of the hospitals, as I'm an experienced L&D nurse and want to stay in that field.
We have two girls who will be going into 5th and 8th grade, and we'll be looking into Christian schools in the area.
We're not dedicated to any one area -- my husband is looking within 60 miles of Raleigh, so this is a more generalized question for how the area as a whole is doing, as compared to 3-5 years ago.
I haven't ever considered this area "depressed". As for the "have a job" comments, you'll still hear those here, more than anywhere. I agree it is always a good idea to have a job before you move but only you know your circumstances. You may get better information about jobs from recruiters than from people's opinions that are only based on their circumstances.
It never hurts to look for jobs, anywhere. You may luck up. Some sectors are seeing increased hiring here, but some are still laying off.
One reason there isn't as much "get a job first" being chanted is that people get snarked at for saying it. Also, we presume that most folks would read through a few threads first and get the "pulse" of the messages. It is still a falsehood that this place is teeming with employers wandering the streets begging for people to come work for them (which seemed to be the prevailing myth a few years ago) but obviously, if you get a bite and it looks promising, keep on the path. It is probably true that this area is better than MOST, though not ALL, parts of the country for jobs in the right industry for those who've done the right research. You don't appear to be one of those "NC, here I come...I know I'll have 20 job offers within my first week like everyone back home told me I would" folks we used to get, so certainly if you've been looking at the area, make the rounds in applications.
There are some great L&D units in the local hospitals here. I moved here from Houston, Texas and ended up working in ambulatory care for an MFM group after working L&D for the lasts 5 years and I love it. I will say that the pay for RNs here is lower than I'd expected after living in Texas. Also, the need for nurses here isn't as great as other areas of the country. I wouldn't say this area is more depressed than most other places but it is more depressed than Houston which has barely noticed the economy worries.
Thank you for the replies... my husband is going to work with some recruiters and is going to look in quite a few areas, just to get a feel for how things are in the hiring world out there. I'm usually the one who does the initial search, going on Monster and sites like that, and for the first time in years, when I did that over the past few weeks, I saw many more jobs popping up in his field than I have before, thus prompting me to check in here to see what the temperature was on people moving to the area. It seemed SO negative a few years ago that I was encouraged by the lack of negativity, whether or not it comes from moderators cutting it back or just a general better feeling out there.
I'm glad to hear positive feedback on the L&D units... I've been assuming the pay would be either the same or a little less than what we earn up here in Syracuse, I know that Houston definitely paid better than most places, so I'm sure that was a bit hard! What I'm honestly more concerned with than the pay rate is retirement benefits... even though I'm still 20 yrs from retiring (or thereabouts... ) I really want to find a hospital that is doing well financially and has good programs in place for their employees. My current hospital was wonderful on that -- until recently, and that is part of the reason we are willing to look outside of NY for work. New York State is in such a financial mess and it is hitting so many sectors... my job and it's benefits were much of the glue keeping us here. So, I've got my homework to do on that front, as well.
If we do come down, we will both be gainfully employed, you can be sure of that... I've heard too many horror stories of people assuming they'll find work, and ending up in the unemployement line... and I certainly wouldn't want to add that to the stress of being somewhere new!!
I'm moving to NC this summer from the Binghamton area. I have to admit that the triangle doesn't meet any definition of 'depressed' that I can imagine.
It is interesting, though, because poverty levels are overall higher in many parts of the triangle, but in our part of NY, we don't have near the high end wealth to balance it.
Our local govts and schools are taking hits already, and I don't think things will be pretty for a long time. Can't wait to get out of NY!
IMHO you don't have to have 2 guaranteed jobs if you are relocating, but have a plan for one income. For example, if one spouse has a job, buy a house based on that income only. Being a stay at home parent can save money sometimes if you have to pay for a lot of child care, transportation, dinners out, etc. I'm not referring to you specifically, but just generally speaking.
I'm moving to NC this summer from the Binghamton area. I have to admit that the triangle doesn't meet any definition of 'depressed' that I can imagine.
It is interesting, though, because poverty levels are overall higher in many parts of the triangle, but in our part of NY, we don't have near the high end wealth to balance it.
Our local govts and schools are taking hits already, and I don't think things will be pretty for a long time. Can't wait to get out of NY!
IMHO you don't have to have 2 guaranteed jobs if you are relocating, but have a plan for one income. For example, if one spouse has a job, buy a house based on that income only. Being a stay at home parent can save money sometimes if you have to pay for a lot of child care, transportation, dinners out, etc. I'm not referring to you specifically, but just generally speaking.
Sue, if you don't mind me asking - what line of work are you in, and where are you settling in NC? My husband is in manufacturing, can go a multitude of different directions within that sector... I'm a nurse, planning on staying within my field in a local hospital.
If we continue to research the area and he finds a job & we decide to move, the biggest thing I am looking for to be a change from NY is the economic situation we've been putting up with here. I am so saddened by what is happening with our schools & hospitals, etc... I know that no state is having an easy time of it in today's economy, but NY is hurting our educational & healthcare system to such a degree that it is hard to imagine things getting better for a LONG time.
Thanks for the note... good luck to you on your move!
To me the whole move with or without a job is so individual.
Your industry, skill set, marketability, personality and income needs all play a role.
To use the extreme examples there is an obvious difference between a family of six coasting into town with $1,000 in the bank, bad credit, no education AND a couple who live a frugal lifestyle, are educated, have an 800 FICO score and $700k in the bank.
If you are the latter and not the former there is an advantage to moving somewhere with the resources to search for a job and explore your new community simultaneously.
I have taken a few of those partial sabbaticals myself and they are extraordinarily liberating.
It gives you the chance to be selective and really get a better feel for your potential new employers.
I have been hired from a distance several times. No matter how much research and digging I did, I was still not able to gauge my new employers nearly as well as I could have if I was a local candidate.
The greatest benefit to saving money in my view is that it enables you to expand your lifestyle choices.
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) I really want to find a hospital that is doing well financially and has good programs in place for their employees. My current hospital was wonderful on that -- until recently, and that is part of the reason we are willing to look outside of NY for work. New York State is in such a financial mess and it is hitting so many sectors... my job and it's benefits were much of the glue keeping us here. So, I've got my homework to do on that front, as well.
