How bad is job market in RI ? or how good ?

[1979]

Originally Posted by LizzyWNC

Thank you Holly Tree; will give this some further serious thought and check Craig's list etc. to get a feel for what is going on. (single, prefer house not condo). Property taxes seem verrrrry high. Auto taxes very high. This all detracts from affordability factor and cost of living seems high even though home prices have dropped. Looking between $180K and $200K.

You can buy a nice house in RI right now for your price range. The key might be to move first, find a job, then buy. While the job market is poor here, it seems the other states which have lower unemployment also have a lower minimum wage of $5.75 an hr. Here there are fast food jobs paying $10 an hour to start.

[Jay F]

Originally Posted by Rnrboy

Fifth actually.

Yes a couple of states jumped over RI. Still, the rate itself keeps rising. In fact the 10.5% February rate is the highest in state history (since records have been kept).

[Hollytree]

It also depends what sector(s) the job losses are occurring in. There may be sectors that are in demand here- it would have to be researched.

[LizzyWNC]

Leaning toward nixing RI. Read in the ProJo this morning that Cranston is raising property taxes. I think they're all nuts up there ... people in Cranston pay one of the highest prop. taxes in the State of RI already, and many are defaulting. Much of the mortgage foreclosure problem up there is due to the high taxes. Who can afford to pay between $3500 and $4000 per yr. on a modest $225K or $250K house, and the motor vehicle taxes for an avg. car of $800 a year, on top of that ? Not me. Even if they lower the assessed valuations to current market, they will raise the tax rate. It's a no win situation. Fast food jobs not in my future, I'm semi retired.

[LuvnLemons]

Job market extremely dismal!!! It took me almost a year to find a perm job and I am very skilled at what I do (health care).

My husband who is so smart, educated, diversely talented and should be in high demand has been looking for over a year now with only 1 job interview. It was down between him and another person...and the other person knew someone in the company who pulled some strings. That's the way it is in this state...you have to know someone.

I got my job because my boss (through a temp assignment) turned my company upside down until they hired me permanent. God bless her!! without her I'd have nothing.