Working Hard or Hardly Working (Springfield, Branson: job market, transfer to, school district)

[tambre]

Hi everyone,

How is the job market in general in the Springfield area these days? How do you think the national economic "slowdown" is affecting the area? Do there seem to be layoffs, or new hiring? Any and all opinions and ideas are welcome. Tambre

[melissajo]

There is a lot of opportunity in the Springfield/Branson area, it just depends on what your career actually is. For example, I am a teacher, and there are many jobs available. If you are a marine biologist, probably not so much What field are you looking to enter?

[tambre]

Originally Posted by melissajo

There is a lot of opportunity in the Springfield/Branson area, it just depends on what your career actually is. For example, I am a teacher, and there are many jobs available. If you are a marine biologist, probably not so much What field are you looking to enter?

Hey Melissajo,

I think I mentioned it on another post, but I am a COTA, and work in the public schools here in NY. I called the Springfield School District about any job openings, and was told that they didn't have any positions available, have little turnover, and probably won't unless someone retires! The nice woman did take my name, though. Doesn't sound too promising. I could also possibly work as a COTA in a rehab setting, hospital, nursing home, or psych center, but have 15 years experience working in pediatrics, so it would be a stretch. At least I'm not a marine biologist, lol.

Of course, like most folks, I would be willing to take anything to put food on the table for the short run, with hopes of finding a better opportunity when it became available. But, anyway, that's just my personal story, but really I was wondering what the general feeling about the economic outlook is? Is there a positive employment vibe in the Springfield area? If there are good opportunities for teachers, that is a great sign...usually means the population is growing, which also translates into a need for all types of good/services.

P.S. When does the school year end in Missouri?

Thanks. Tambre

[tambre]

Originally Posted by tambre

Hi everyone,

How is the job market in general in the Springfield area these days? How do you think the national economic "slowdown" is affecting the area? Do there seem to be layoffs, or new hiring? Any and all opinions and ideas are welcome. Tambre

Just as I suspected, you're all independently wealthy!!!

[mrsgenealogy]

Hi, Tambre!

I think the lack of responses here is because employment is such a mixed bag. The opportunities aren't great...but it depends on what you do...and I think most of us are reluctant to speak on something we aren't sure about. We only have our own experience and can't speak with authority on how easy or hard it is to find a job in a generic sort of way.

I do have a couple of things to share on this topic. First, I heard some bad news on the TV about a meat company that is going to be closing in the next few months and there are nearly 800 people who will be out of a job. Some of them are already starting to look for another job but some will wait until it closes. The company offered some to transfer to another location but most will be finding other work here in the next few months.

I went to the local newspaper's website to find the story to share with you: Willow Brook Foods is sold, will shut down Springfield operations | News-Leader.com | Springfield News-Leader

Now, these people may not be qualified to do the jobs you might be looking for so it might not make a difference but I still thought it would be good to share it here.

Second, I've been searching for a site I recently learned about and finally found it! It has all sorts of stats for employment and other things in Springfield. Here's the link:
http://www.business4springfield.com/demographics/profile/screen.pdf (broken link)

Hope these help!

MrsG

[tambre]

Hi Mrs. G.,

Thanks for the information. That is a shame about the meat company shutting down. Did that have anything to do with the company involved in the scandal about the mistreatment of cows, and the recall of meat products?

I'm definitely not looking for hard, cold facts, but more what the current economy feels like to people, in whatever jobs they have, in the Springfield area. For some, they won't lose their jobs, but will be asked to take over more responsibilities, as hiring new workers is out of the question. Or, maybe there will be less hours, employees paying more for their benefits, etc. Or maybe it is busier than ever, and they are scrambling for more qualified people.

Baby boomers are looking for less expensive places to retire, and Missouri fits the bill. My hope is that this will keep the job market healthy. Thanks again for your insights.

[NOLA2SGF]

Originally Posted by tambre

Baby boomers are looking for less expensive places to retire, and Missouri fits the bill. My hope is that this will keep the job market healthy. Thanks again for your insights.

I am a baby boomer who plans to retire and move to Springfield next year, and contribute what little infusion to the local economy that I can! One thing is for sure - - I have already worked for many years and in retirement, I won't be competing with anybody for jobs. Sorry to hear about your difficulty so far in locating a job in Springfield. The news about the meat packing plant isn't too promising. Big layoffs like that have a ripple effect.

In general, I have been impressed by the vibrance of Springfield's economy, relatively speaking, for a town its size in that part of the country. The last time we were up there was for a week in February, and I can tell you that despite hundreds of wonderful restaurants in south Springfield, we had a hard time finding one without a waiting list at 7 PM on Saturday night (when we arrived). To me that says good things about the economy there.

[tambre]

Originally Posted by NOLA2SGF

I am a baby boomer who plans to retire and move to Springfield next year, and contribute what little infusion to the local economy that I can! One thing is for sure - - I have already worked for many years and in retirement, I won't be competing with anybody for jobs. Sorry to hear about your difficulty so far in locating a job in Springfield. The news about the meat packing plant isn't too promising. Big layoffs like that have a ripple effect.

In general, I have been impressed by the vibrance of Springfield's economy, relatively speaking, for a town its size in that part of the country. The last time we were up there was for a week in February, and I can tell you that despite hundreds of wonderful restaurants in south Springfield, we had a hard time finding one without a waiting list at 7 PM on Saturday night (when we arrived). To me that says good things about the economy there.

Hi Nola2SGF,

Thanks for sharing your perspective. It's good to hear that so many people are dining out, guess food service jobs may be in demand. Later this month, we are traveling out to determine whether or not to build something on the land we bought. I guess we'll just have to get a feel for the economy when we get out there. Did you already find a retirement spot? Take Care,

Tambre

[mrsgenealogy]

Originally Posted by tambre

Hi Mrs. G.,

Thanks for the information. That is a shame about the meat company shutting down. Did that have anything to do with the company involved in the scandal about the mistreatment of cows, and the recall of meat products?

I'm definitely not looking for hard, cold facts, but more what the current economy feels like to people, in whatever jobs they have, in the Springfield area. For some, they won't lose their jobs, but will be asked to take over more responsibilities, as hiring new workers is out of the question. Or, maybe there will be less hours, employees paying more for their benefits, etc. Or maybe it is busier than ever, and they are scrambling for more qualified people.

Baby boomers are looking for less expensive places to retire, and Missouri fits the bill. My hope is that this will keep the job market healthy. Thanks again for your insights.

No, tambre, I don't think the closing had anything to do with the cow thing. The pictures that the news keeps using are all showing hams. The company was bought out by another and this facility was very old and run down, they said. Someone told my husband yesterday that their sister went to work there and only stayed a couple of days before she quit. She also said that the majority of the employees were asian and mexican which makes me wonder if they are all legal. If that's true, it would suggest that their impact on the job market could be less than previously thought.

As far as discussing feelings about the employment opportunities here, I am too busy too give my feelings on that but here is a link to another thread on that topic: Regarding Jobs: Is it just me?

I hope it helps you find the answers you're looking for.

Originally Posted by NOLA2SGF

I am a baby boomer who plans to retire and move to Springfield next year, and contribute what little infusion to the local economy that I can! One thing is for sure - - I have already worked for many years and in retirement, I won't be competing with anybody for jobs. Sorry to hear about your difficulty so far in locating a job in Springfield. The news about the meat packing plant isn't too promising. Big layoffs like that have a ripple effect.

In general, I have been impressed by the vibrance of Springfield's economy, relatively speaking, for a town its size in that part of the country. The last time we were up there was for a week in February, and I can tell you that despite hundreds of wonderful restaurants in south Springfield, we had a hard time finding one without a waiting list at 7 PM on Saturday night (when we arrived). To me that says good things about the economy there.

Hi, NOLA!

I don't know where they got the information but someone told me that Springfield has more restaurants per capita than any other city in MO...which includes the big cities, of course...and it always amazes me how busy most of the restaurants are! Even in CA, I never saw the restaurants so consistently busy! It doesn't even seem to matter what time of day it is...there is often still a line for seating. What a trip! It truly seems like the Eating Out Capital of Missouri!

[tambre]

Hi everyone,

Since I guess this is a kind of nebulous question, I thought other transplant wannabees, and job seekers might find this link helpful. Hope this link works, as I'm not really computer literate.

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