Better job market in the Salt Lake City area? (Boulder: rent, insurance)

[Cherie84]

Hello. I am looking to move out west in late January. I was first considering Colorado, but I have been hearing gloomy news about the job market in the Denver and Boulder areas, and although I would still love to move there, I am scared of the prospect of being unemployed there for a while (unless I moved to Greeley, which is doing well). I have a friend who lives near Salt Lake City, and he said that there are plenty of jobs there. Plus, the state has a low unemployment rate. Is there anybody else who can tell me more about the health of the local job market? Is it very competitive like in most other places?

Thanks for your help!

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Different fields, different answers. What is your field?

[Cherie84]

I work as an admin assistant at a commercial insurance agency, so I am looking for a similar position for now. I am proficient in Spanish, also, and have a B.A. in Modern Language and Culture.

I am most interested in an entry-level position with a federal agency such as the BLM, NPS, or the EPA, because my real passion is for the outdoors.

Do you think that I could find a good position in the SLC area?

Thanks.

[mitsuturbo]

When i lived in CO i had a hard time finding a decent job. I moved to utah and was never out of work for more than a couple weeks as i looked for something new. However, i worked as a mechanic and in the I.T. field, so i feel i have a lot of options open for employment. I don't know how it is for others, but i found that wages in utah are very low, and the cost of housing went up there while wages didnt. I've since moved BACK to seattle, and my quality of life has improved because of the wage i'm making and the rent im paying. I have more a positive proportion of income.

As was said before though.. depends on who you are and what you do.

[TedH71]

What about cnc machining field?

[mitsuturbo]

I was seeing a woman who was a CNC machinist, and she'd worked a few places around SLC, such as Black Diamond, Marshall radio telemetry, and a couple others i dont remember the name of. We talked about work and it didn't seem like she had much trouble staying employed, or moving on to a new position. I dont know how representative what i'm saying is of the market there in general though.

[Cherie84]

Originally Posted by mitsuturbo

When i lived in CO i had a hard time finding a decent job. I moved to utah and was never out of work for more than a couple weeks as i looked for something new. However, i worked as a mechanic and in the I.T. field, so i feel i have a lot of options open for employment. I don't know how it is for others, but i found that wages in utah are very low, and the cost of housing went up there while wages didnt. I've since moved BACK to seattle, and my quality of life has improved because of the wage i'm making and the rent im paying. I have more a positive proportion of income.

As was said before though.. depends on who you are and what you do.

I just read an article on Yahoo news, maybe from Forbes.com, that mentioned that wages in SLC are rising.

[Cherie84]

Utah also ranked #2 in the US for quality of life, and I have talked to many people who say that the economy there is pretty good, especially in comparison to the rest of the country. I keep finding less and less reasons to not move to SLC area!

[US-Traveller]

Utah has a great economy and fantastic job market. Utah is also the fastest growing state, mainly due to the high birth rate, but Utah also leads when it comes to job creation. Arizona is also a close second. I think the Intermountain West is going to be the new sunbelt when it comes to growth in future years.